Noli Eala said yesterday the Araneta Coliseum blockbuster card headlined by Rey (Boom Boom) Bautista on Dec. 2 will be an unforgettable extravaganza ? a show of shows ? that he promises to set a standard for boxing promotions in the country.
?It?s all systems go,? said Eala. ?I guarantee the fights will be action-packed. Boom Boom?s popularity hasn?t waned, judging from the brisk ticket sales and sponsorship packages. Fans are eager to see Boom Boom?s payback and his opponent (Antonio Meza) is no slouch. A. J. Banal, Milan Melindo and Michael Domingo are taking on foreign opponents who aren?t just coming for a paycheck. Everyone is determined to win because the fights will be shown to an international audience. Nobody wants to be embarrassed. They all want to impress.?
The former PBA commissioner said a bonus attraction is the airing of the IBF flyweight title match between defending champion Nonito Donaire Jr. and Mexican challenger Luis Maldonado on jumbo screens and plasma TV monitors in the VIP section during the Big Dome event.
?We?re not charging extra for this satellite feed,? said Eala. ?Donaire?s fight will be shown inside the Araneta Coliseum like in a theater on pay-per-view. It will be held in Connecticut on Saturday night which is Sunday morning, our time. Now, fans will have the best of Philippine boxing in one venue and one event.?
Eala described the tie-up between Solar Sports ? that has TV rights to the Donaire fight ? and ABC-TV, which is producing the Araneta Coliseum card, as ?historic.?
?This just goes to show how true sportsmen can work together without any vested interests but to help Filipino boxers and give the best to Pinoy sports fans,? said Eala, referring to ABC-TV owner Tony Boy Cojuangco and Solar president William Tieng. ?I?m sure the fans will have a wonderful time watching Boom Boom, A. J. and now, Donaire in one venue.?
Eala said he expects the Donaire fight to be aired at around 10:30 a.m. after which Domingo will take on Tanzania?s Anthony Mathias then Melindo will meet Indonesia?s Jack Amisa, Banal will face Mexico?s Jovanny Soto and finally, Bautista will battle Meza. The curtain raiser will start at 9 a.m.
Eala said the show will be unlike any other. ?We?ve got more than just the fights,? he went on. ?There will be a DJ spinning the whole show. We?ve got ramp models as round girls for the big fights and surprise round girls for the preliminaries. We?re flying in the world?s most beautiful ring announcer Amy Hayes from Kentucky and she told me she looks even better than her pictures in the internet. We?ve got special effects and entertainment numbers. We?ve got Vina Morales singing the national anthem. And what?s more, tickets are at popular prices.?
Eala said the foreign fighters are scheduled to arrive next Tuesday. Training day is set at 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 30 at Market! Market! in the Fort. Bautista, Banal, Melindo and Domingo will take turns working out in a makeshift gym at the activity center of the mall. The foreign fighters will also work out in the public preview. ALA stable?s Edito Villamor and Elorde gym trainers will conduct a boxing clinic for free before the workouts. Hayes will host the afternoon event.
Eala said the consortium backing up the card plans to stage two or three shows next year, including a world championship fight. The consortium is made up of Cojuangco, banker Eric Tagle and Tagbilaran City Mayor Dan Neri Lim.
?We?re interested in promoting Bernabe Concepcion against Boom Boom, Donnie Nietes, Gerry Pe?alosa?s title defense and other big fights,? said Eala who heads Third Force Promotions. ?We?re not in this for just one show. We want to make an impact as a promoter of Filipino fighters. We want to show the world that we?re capable of staging a world-class boxing promotion.?
Eala said Hayes and her father Morris are flying in on Nov. 28. Hayes will be the ring announcer for the top four fights.
?It?s Amy?s first trip to Asia and she?s extremely excited,? said Eala. ?When we offered her to come, she thought it was a joke at first. She never expected to be invited. But when we made a firm offer, she knew we were for real. She promised something exciting for Filipino fans, something she?s never done before. I don?t know what it is but you can imagine it will be a stunner.?
