CEBU CITY ? The Philippines? Rey ?Boom Boom? Bautista has taken the first crucial steps on the road to redemption.
The Boholano boxing sensation has embarked on a thrice-a-week sparring session at the ALA Gym here as he gears up for his Dec. 2 bout with Mexican Antonio ?Barrio? Meza at the Araneta Coliseum headlining the blockbuster ?Payback? card promoted by Third Force Promotion.
The 21-year-old Bautista will be defending his WBO Inter-Continental 122-lb title against the Meza, a native of Mexicali, Mexico.
?He has so far sparred 16 rounds against Leon Maratas. We?re keeping him busy,? said ALA Gym chief trainer Edito ?Ala? Villamor in an interview.
The Cebu-based fighter is aching to redeem himself from the shock first-round knockout loss at the hands of WBO superbantam champion Daniel Ponce De Leon in the main bout of the recent World Cup held in Sacramento, California.
?I am as determined as ever. I?d like to thank the fans for their continued support. In my next fight, I?ll make sure I won?t make the same mistakes I made in the De Leon fight,? said Bautista.
Meza, who holds the WBC Fecombox superbantam title, has reportedly gone up to the mountains of Mexico to prepare for the hard-punching Bautista.
The 24-year-old southpaw Mexican, who is riding high on a five-bout winning streak, parades a 23-2 win-loss record with 16 KO?s.
Supporting the Bautista-Meza tiff is the 12-round confrontation between undefeated teen AJ ?Bazooka? Banal who will go up against Mexican Jovanny Soto.
Banal will be fighting his fourth Mexican opponent thus far, after notching wins against Juan Alberto Rosas, Jorge Cardenas and Esau Gaona.
The 18-year-old Banal the other day impressed local observers as he sparred with one-time world superflyweight challenger Z ?The Dream? Gorres.
RP bantamweight champion Michael Domingo will also take on Tanzanian Anthony Mathias, while RP flyweight boss Rocky Fuentes takes on Baguio City?s Javier Malulan in a non-title showdown.
Also seeing action is newly-crowned WBO Asia-Pacific minimumweight champion Milan Melindo against a still to be determined foe.
