REY BAUTISTA refuses to be counted out.
The Bohol native, also known as Boom Boom, is raring to start all over again in his quest to nail that elusive world crown even though he is coming off a devastating knockout loss.
On Dec. 2, Bautista tangles with Antonio Meza of Mexico in a 12-round tiff for the Filipino?s World Boxing Organization (WBO) Intercontinental super-bantamweight throne at the Araneta Coliseum.
“I have learned a lot from that knockout loss (to Daniel Ponce De Leon),” Bautista said at the weekly PSA Forum yesterday, referring to the first round stoppage De Leon inflicted on him last Aug. 8 at the Arco Arena in Sacramento, California.
Bautista, 21, will enter the ring armed with a 23-1 win-loss card with 17 knockouts, while Meza will stake his equally-impressive card of 23-2 with 16 wins inside the distance.
“I was disappointed with my last performance and I want to make up for that,” Bautista said.
What made it worse for Bautista was that he was the only Filipino loser on that night as Gerry Pe?alosa and AJ Banal got past their respective Mexican rivals.
Meza, 24, has won five straight fights since dropping a decision to compatriot Julio Zarate.
In the main supporting bout, Banal wages war with Jovanny Soto, also of Mexico, for Banal?s WBO Youth super-fly crown.
Banal, 18, sports a 15-0-1 mark with 12 knockouts and faces a stern test in Soto, who totes a 25-7-1 ledger with 20 stoppages.
Former PBA commissioner Noli Eala is leading effort to stage the Big Dome slugfest that will be held at 10 a.m. to accommodate the overseas audience.
Assisting Eala in this undertaking are Tagbilaran City Mayor and die-hard boxing fan Dan Neri Lim, Cebu boxing impresario Tony Aldeguer and ABC 5.
