Six Filipino fighters are raring to pulverize their Mexican opponents in Golden Boy?s World Cup at the Arco Arena in Sacramento tomorrow morning (Manila time).
ALA stable owner Tony Aldeguer told The STAR yesterday from Cebu the boys are cool, calm and confident before the 4 p.m. weigh-in at the Arden Mall on the eve of the blockbuster card that will determine bragging rights and ownership of the $500,000 diamond-crusted trophy symbolic of a country?s supremacy in the sport.
Aldeguer?s son Michael, who is taking care of the ALA fighters in Sacramento, said he expects smooth sailing at the weigh-in. Only Diosdado Gabi may encounter some difficulty at the scales as he was six pounds over the limit three days ago but he, too, is expected to make the weight.
The main event features Daniel Ponce de Leon staking his WBO superbantamweight crown against unbeaten Rey (Boom Boom) Bautista of Candijay, Bohol, in a 12-rounder. Also in the bill is the WBO bantamweight title bout between defending champion Jhonny Gonzalez and San Carlos City challenger Gerry Pe?alosa.
The four other fights are Mandaue?s Z Gorres versus Eric Ortiz in a 12-round IBF superflyweight title eliminator, Davao City?s Gabi versus Jose Angel Beranza in an 8-rounder, Sultan Kudarat?s Michael Domingo versus Miguel Roman in an 8-rounder and Corella?s A. J. Banal versus Jorge Cardenas in a sixer.
At a press conference the other day, the big surprise was Bautista came out taller by an inch over Ponce de Leon when they faced each other for the first time. Bautista, who turned 21 last June, was earlier tipped to be shorter than the Aztec of Tarahumara Indian descent.
Bautista said it?s a dream come true to fight for the world title and vowed to return home with the belt. He predicted an all-out war and in the end, he?ll be the one standing.
?Someone is going to fall and it won?t be me,? said Bautista, quoted by Aldeguer. ?I?ve gone down before but I always got up. I can absorb more than he can. There?s no way out for both of us.?
For his part, Ponce de Leon, who?s making his fifth title defense, said he?s never trained harder. He was unimpressive in outpointing Pe?alosa in his last title defense and said he took the Filipino lightly.
?I was overconfident against Pe?alosa,? said Ponce de Leon. ?But I know Bautista?s reputation. I?m ready to win.?
Pe?alosa turned 35 last Tuesday and is nearing the end of a career that started in 1989 when Gonzalez was only seven years old. The former WBC superflyweight champion wants to go out with a bang and dethroning Gonzalez would be a fitting tribute to one of the country?s boxing legends.
Aldeguer said Bautista and Pe?alosa learned from each other in sparring sessions at the Wild Card Gym.
?Bautista is as tall as Gonzalez with arms just as long so he was a perfect sparmate for Gerry,? said Aldeguer. ?Bautista also learned from Gerry because no fighter is as clever and wily. Gerry just fought Ponce de Leon so he gave Bautista a lot of lessons. Bautista became much wiser after sparring with Gerry. They were God-sent for each other. Gonzalez? advantage is he has the ability to knock out Gerry. But it won?t be easy stopping Gerry who?s very elusive and smart.?
Jon Schorle, the controversial referee who tried to rescue Carlos Navarro in his knockout loss to Bobby Pacquiao two years ago, will be the third man in the ring for Ponce de Leon?s defense. The judges will be Steve English, Max de Luca and John Stewart.
Pat Russell will referee the Gonzalez-Pe?alosa bout with C. J. Ross, Steve Morrow and Ralph McKnight as judges. Russell worked Bautista?s knockout win over Roberto Bonilla in Los Angeles last year.
Gorres was cleared to fight by doctors after undergoing laser treatment for a scratch in the eye and will take on Ortiz, a former WBC lightflyweight titlist, in place of Gerson Guerrero.
Ortiz was Banal?s original opponent. Now, the unbeaten Banal will meet Cardenas who has a 9-3-3 record, with six KOs.
Domingo, a veteran, will go up against Golden Boy?s hot prospect Roman whose record is 21-0, with 15 KOs. Matchmaker Sampson Lewkowicz initially sought another Filipino opponent Robert Allanic but Aldeguer insisted on Domingo who?s a battle-scarred gladiator with a 31-14 record, including 12 KOs.
Scratched from the card was lightflyweight Bert Batawang?s bout against Gerardo Verde who was disqualified with a detached retina. Batawang wept when his fight was cancelled but was consoled by Lewkowicz? promise of arranging a title bout against IBF champion Ulises Solis on Sept. 15.
