TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol — Once again, they’re telling Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista he would be fighting his toughest fight.
Nothing really new here. The youthful fighter had been given this false warning several times in the past.
In fact, his last “toughest fight” turned out to be a screaming Philippine picnic when he stopped a dreaded, muscle-bound foe by the name of Felix Murillo at the Staples Center in California last September to touch off a 3-for-3 knockout feat by Filipino fighters in Los Angeles, a victory parade beamed to the world by HBO.
As he had done before, the now-famous son of a fisherman and a poor market vendor from Candijay, over 80 kilometers of uneven road travel from here, has again believed the old warning.
Based on the respective records of the main fighters, “Bakbakan sa Tagbilaran (Battle in Tagbilaran)” bears little promise of a classy, scientific duel.
But the result could be a masterpiece in clinical demolition.
Bautista, 18, reigning World Boxing Organization Asia-Pacific bantamweight champion, is a solid favorite against African Obote Ameme tomorrow night when they clash in the middle of a parched, forgotten football field that will partly assume the glow and glare of Las Vegas overnight.
Nicknamed Thunder, the African, with the steely hairdo and stare of a hungry Indian warrior, has a fearsome record of 27 wins, 22 via knockout.
Bautista has an unblemished 17-0 record, 13 by knockout.
“No they are grossly exaggerating,” explained Tagbilaran City Mayor Dan Neri Lim when one local scribe said the grand boxing presentation could rival glitterville Las Vegas.
Fireworks will be aplenty. Entertainment portion will feature the world-renowned Loboc Children’s Choir, Jerome Sala of Star-in-a-Million fame, and former Platter Bobby Soul.
Unlike Bautista, Mayor Lim, with the kind face and girth of a Santa Claus aspirant, did not have to be told he’s mounting the greatest production of his first tenure as chief city executive.
“This is purely for history, no profit intended whatsoever,” Lim told the Inquirer as he supervised the finishing touches on the field whose core will be the boxing ring mounted under a huge canopy that has been rented to the tune of P400,000.
City Hall and the provincial government are footing the bulk of the bill, with major donations coming in from the congressmen of the province.
No tickets are being sold; instead, spectators will be asked to give contributions in exchange for mounted identification cards which will be honored as passes to the fight.
The card, which also features the challenge of local boy Cesar Amonsot to Indon Victor Musol for the WBO Aspac junior lightweight title, will be shown over RPN 9 starting at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Lim said his provincemates only wanted to show unity and full faith in Bautista, the most famous Bol-anon after President Carlos P. Garcia, in whose honor the fight site had been named.
