Rey “Boom-Boom” Bautista arrived yesterday at the Sycuan Resort and Casino for his Dec. 23 fight against Mexican hitter Gerardo “Locomotora” Espinoza.
The undefeated WBO Asia-Pacific bantamweight champion, accompanied by his trainer Edito Villamor, manager Antonio Lopez Aldeguer and business agent Michael Koncz, arrived from a two-hour drive from Aldeguer’s residence in West Covina, Los Angeles, shortly after lunch in El Cajon, California, USA for the Top Rank and Sycuan Ringside Promotion boxing card.
Roach at ringside
Their scheduled eight-round, non-title fight is scheduled at 5:15 p.m. and will be aired on Telefutura, a Mexican TV station, underneath the Urbano Antillon-Fernando Trejo 10-round fight.
Aldeguer said that aside from Villamor, Freddie Roach and Justin Fortune will be at the corner of the youthful boxer from Candijay, Bohol.
“Freddie Roach and Justine Fortune, who will be at the corner of Bautista together with Villamor, will follow Friday morning,” said Aldeguer in an e-mail.
This will be the toughest challenge of the 19-year-old Bautista as Espinoza, who has fought against the best in the division, carries a power punches underneath his gloves.
Espinoza, who had a four-fight skid, hopes to regain his lost ratings against Bautista.
The 25-year-old boxer from Tijuana, Mexico carries a 28-9 win-loss record with 26 Kos, while Bautista is 18-0 with 14 KOs.
“This is a good experience for Bautista. Espinoza has fought the best fighters in the bantamweight division and he could teach Rey a couple of lessons inside the ring,” Aldeguer said.
