Fresh from a sterling performance in his first ever fight in the US mainland and followed by a hero’s welcome accorded to him by fellow Boholanos, reigning Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista may end up cutting the latest development surrounding his young pro career.
In a talk with the dyRD/ZD Sports Monitoring Center yesterday afternoon, Bautista’s manager Antonio Aldeguer pointed out that nothing yet is final for his ward’s next fight.
Reports said that the historic Araneta Coliseum, through sportsman Nene Araneta, is the front-runner to host Bautista’s upcoming defense on Nov. 12 is a mere speculation and nothing yet is final,” Aldeguer stressed.
Bautista’s US Agent Michael Koncz is still negotiating with promoters of the Vitaly Klitscko – Rashed Rahman heavyweight title tiff to have Bautista fight in the undercard this coming November.
Aldeguer said that his ward’s next fight will be known later this week.
The sportsman is slated to arrive here tomorrow to accompany his ward pay a courtesy call to Gov. Erico Aumentado.
Earlier, Cebu Daily News Correspondent Salven Lagumbay quoted City Mayor Dan Neri Lim who arrived last Friday from a trip to Manila as saying that Nene Araneta and Viva top honcho Vic del Rosario are both poised to make Bautista the next boxing superstar, starting with the Nov. 12 scrap where Bautista is set to defend his World Boxing Organization Asia-Pacific bantam crown against a still unnamed foe.
Aldeguer added that if Bautista’s US fight pushes through, he will request the WBO to postpone the latter’s mandatory defense to a later date.
With his stunning third round knockout win over the once-feared Felix Flores Murillo of Columbia in the undercard of the worldwide telecast “Double Trouble” card at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California Sunday last week, the camp of Bautista has been flooded with offers for his next fight and even an invitation for him to be one of the guests to grace the opening of the 2005-2006 Philippine Boxing Association season next month.
Aldeguer who charts Bautista’s career bared that promoters from Manila, Mandaue City and Cebu City made known their intention to stage Bautista’s next fight.
Not to be outdone, Bohol Sports Commission chair and board member Dionisio Balite has expressed they are willing to shell out P1.5 million to promote Bautista’s second defense of his title here before the year ends.
International promoter Sammy Gello-ani, who promotes some of Bautista’s fights, however, informed that he had just received a call from WBO informing him of the organization’s order for Bautista to make a mandatory defense of his WBO throne within the next two months.
Bautista is in danger of being stripped of the crown if he fails to defend it within the regulatory period.
Initially, Bautista was booked by his US agent Michael Koncz to fight in Las Vegas on October 7, but they cancelled it as Bautista felt homesick and wanted to return home after more than a month stay in the US prior to the Sept. 11 bout.
Gello-ani also confirmed that Bautista has received several offers from the United States.
When asked on his ward’s success, Aldeguer replied in a text message: “We owe it to Him, the Lord Jesus.”
No less than 2002 US trainer awardee Freddie Roach boasted that Bautista is the next Manny Pacquiao.
Bautista, along with newly-crowned WBC International superfeatherweight titlist Manny Pacquiao and WBC minifly champ Brian Viloria, who scored impressive knockout wins over their Latino foes last Sunday, were invited by PBA commissioner Noli Eala to toss the ceremonial ball during the opening of the year-ending PBA conference on Oct. 2 at the Araneta Coliseum.
Late reports say Aldeguer was set to confer with US agent Koncz on their next move to ensure the boxing career of Bautista.
The pride of Bohol together with his manager Aldeguer and CDN correspondent Lagumbay were met by a big throng of boxing fans when they arrived at the city pier from Cebu City Thursday morning.
The motorcade jointly coordinated by ABAP-7 under Nemi Monton, provincial sports commission represented by ex-amateur standout Joel Rosario and the city government of Tagbilaan, made a brief stop at the St. Joseph Cathedral where Bautista knelt in front of the main altar for a prayer of thanks.
The motorcade then proceeded to station dyRD where he was interviewed over top-rated program “Inyong Alagad” veteran newscaster Fred Araneta.
Bautista took turns in denying reports that he is not from Bohol as reported during his fight in the US.
He assured his countless fans over the lanes that he was indeed born in the remote barangay of Can-olin, Candijay, Bohol.
In his remark during a testimonial program hosted by the city government that followed at the new city hall, Aldeguer confirmed that his ward is a full-blooded Boholano and put an end to the issue saying that “Bautista will forever be a Boholano.”
For his part, Bautista explained that there was no mention about Bohol when he was introduced before his fight with Murillo since the ring announcer used the record provided by the Cebu City-based ALA Boxing Stable.
There was a lot of furor when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo herself congratulated Bautista to be from Cebu City.
The visibly-irked Boholano warrior almost lost his temper and chided the ring announcer for misrepresentation, sending the crowd to laughter.
City Mayor Dan Neri Lim, who is very supportive to both amateur and professional boxing, congratulated Bautista for his latest achievement for placing not only Bohol but the Philippines in general in world sports map.
He, however, cautioned the teenage hero not to rely on power alone and advised him to copy the style and fighting spirit of All-Time Boxing Great Muhammad Ali.
For her part, City Vice-Mayor Nuevas Tirol-Montes gave Bautista a motherly advice as professional boxer.
Hundreds of students also lined up the motorcade routes to see their ring idol.
Bautista also paid a courtesy call on the members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan led by his avid fans Vice-Gov. Julius Caesar Herrera, SP members Balite and Brigido Imboy, and Provincial Administrator Tomas Abapo Jr., representing the governor, who at the time was with the Presidential party in the US.
Bautista’s homecoming was capped with a grand parade around the town of Candijay.
The town was in a festive mood when the municipal government led by Mayor Sergio Amora Jr. presented to him a plaque of appreciation for bringing pride to Candijay.
