Cebu has undoubtedly become the mecca of boxing in the country today with two unparalleled mega boxing events preceding one after the other. Lapu-Lapu City “Kadaugan sa Mactan ”played host to the OPBF super featherweight title defense of Randy Suico and a few days later, Mandaue City Sports Commission launched the WBF light welterweight championship fight of Dindo Casta?ares last night.
But what could probably be the penultimate boxing event of the year in the Queen City of the South is the historical first fight appearance of a Mexican in Cebu boxing ring against the undeniably most popular Cebuano ringster today, the inimitable Rey “Boom-Boom” Bautista.
If the Cebuano boxing fans were thrilled to the bones when the durable, iron-jawed African Vuyisile Bebe went the distance with the teen-age sensation in their WBO Asia-Pacific bantamweight title bout last January 29, it will be a nail-biting bombshell when Bautista collides with the equally thunderous punching Mexican.
Gilberto Bola?os of Ciudad Obregon, Mexico is reputedly a dangerous trial-horse among world-rated contenders, who has a 10-8-1 win-loss-draw record with all of his 10 victories coming by way of knockout.
The momentous boxing spectacle is slated on June 4 at the Cebu City Sports Center.
Both ring warriors, Bautista and Bola?os were actually slated to fight last April 8, 2005 at the Orleans Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada but Bautista’s manager, Tony Aldeguer, opted to cancel the bout and elected to have Bautista concentrate on his training at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, California.
Finally, the Cebuano boxing aficionados will get a first-hand view on Mexican fighters when the 27-year-old, hard-hitting Bola?os gets his chance to meet the reigning WBO Aspac bantamweight champion, Rey “Boom-Boom” Bautista.
“When I brought the African champion, Vuyisile Bebe to fight Bautista, I guaranteed that he will go the distance. This time, I guarantee that the fight between Bautista and Bola?os will not last the distance. It will end in a knockout because both are very strong punchers,” said international promoter Sammy Gello-ani who is making history by bringing the first Mexican to fight in Cebu.
If Gello-ani succeeds in getting mayor Tomas Osme?a and the Cebu City Sports Commission to support the sporting event, big-time boxing will once again be back in Cebu.
