SAN DIEGO – Wearing nothing but a pair of jet-black underwear, he stepped gingerly on the scale for his fight’s official weigh-in at around 5:15 in the afternoon yesterday.
Beads of sweat gathered around the slightly wrinkled corners of his forehead, and he squinted just a little, his eyes burned by the glaring lights of the TV cameras.
And when he made weight at 118 and 3/4 pounds, he rammed his clenched right fist into the air, and his shy lips parted into a joyous smile.
Bantamweight Rey “BoomBoom” Bautista easily gained weight. The problem now is how to carry that weight around against a tough assignment early today at the Sycuan Resort and Casino in El Cajon, a sleepy town some 30 miles east the sunny paradise that is San Diego.
Rey’s opponent is Gerardo Espinoza, a veteran of three world-title fights, an old gringo who has 24 knockouts in his 26 wins. This Mexican has fire in his eyes, malice in his mind. But Boom-Boom doesn’t seem fazed, showing instead a confidence that betrays his 19 years.
After the weigh-in inside the spanking $10 million Showcase Theater, Boom-Boom was as loose as a rapper’s pants. He paced around excitedly around the blue, cushy chairs. He shadowboxed playfully, and after he had a live on-air interview with Leo Lastimosa on dyAB’s Arangkada.
Later in the early evening, while retreated to the serenity of his hotel room, Rey took another interview, this time from Cebu City Councilor Jack Jakosalem, who continues to be a pillar among posts at the crazy popular Y101 FM. Somewhere in between, Boom-Boom was able to squeeze in a quick shower.
Just as he was about to sleep with his dreams under the warmth of the waiting bed sheets, Rey mentioned his eagerness to talk to “Papa og mama.” Without thinking, I gave him one of my phone cards to call Bohol. I wish I hadn’t.
Initially, Rey appeared only as having a normal chat with his mother, one of those “Hi, whatcha doin’ out there kind of talk…”
But five minutes later, he suddenly wilted to his side, like an unsuspecting battleship struck by a torpedo. A moan of melancholy would soon bounce around the walls of his spacious hotel room. And then, inevitably, the tears fell.
Separated from my family myself, I understood exactly what Rey must have gone through when loneliness got the better of him. But unlike me, an old fart at 37, 19-year-old Rey lacks the maturity to deal with the consequences of a prolonged absence from his loved ones.
It’s lonely and sad, indeed, this road to greatness that Rey travels. But that’s just how it goes in the violent world of boxing, where championships are won and lost across different shores.
And if Rey wants to see some rainbow, he must put up with the rain, once in a while.
P.S. Rey’s fight is scheduled at around 6 p.m., California time. That’s about 10 a.m. in Cebu today. Since Sun.Star Cebu has no issues coming out for Dec. 25 and 26, the stories I’ll file for this event will appear on Dec. 27.
But you don’t have to wait that long for the result of Boom-Boom’s latest mission. In fact, you would be the first to know. Just tune in on dyAB. I’ll go on-air immediately after the fight. Boom-Boom will also be interviewed live.
After dyAB, I’ll then broadcast the results on Y101 with Jack the Wack. Again, Boom-Boom will appear there, too.
