LOS Angeles – Draped in an elegant, ink-black ALA Boys Boxing Club robe with red trim, Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista entered the Staples Center ring with a small, flag-waving entourage.
The song Ako Ay Isang Pilipino by Pilita Coralles echoed all over the Lakers arena, sending shivers to the hordes of Pinoys who came to root for the affable Boholano from Candijay. It was 6:28 p.m., my heart was racing, pounding with fierce national pride.
Idle since Dec. 23, 2005, Boom Boom relished the sound of the bell signaling his first official bout in nearly five months. And while he was anxious to let off steam, an aggressive foe kept him at bay, forcing Bautista to play defense, while Roberto Bonilla initiated the action with a volley of lefts and rights.
After sizing up the competition, pawing along with stiff, educated jabs, Boom Boom unleashed his first meaningful combination in 2:09 of the first round. It was a three-punch special: hard, quick and nifty. And judging from Bonilla’s body language, Rey’s punches clearly stung.
But the intrepid Nicaraguan doesn’t have a reverse gear. He greeted the second round with sizzle and fury, pursuing Bautista with malicious intent. But Rey’s size and strength was an equalizer. And with 1:19 left in the round, Boom Boom pinned Bonilla in the ropes, punishing him with body blows and well-placed hooks.
Blood began to trickle just below Bonilla’s right eye, and perhaps feeling desperate, he engaged Boom Boom in a toe-to-toe session. It was a decision Bonilla will regret for a long, long time.
With a willing combatant standing in front of him, Boom Boom happily unloaded his might. He threw everything except his corner’s stool. An errant, accidental low blow at the 1:47 mark not only stopped the action, it required Bonilla to seek a timeout, which under California boxing law meant an automatic one-point deduction against Rey.
When action resumed, Boom Boom charged like a raging bull. He chased Bonilla as though the Nicaraguan owed him money. Bonilla ran, but he couldn’t hide. Under siege from a tsunami of 1-2 combinations, Bonilla finally, mercifully, went down after being tagged with a left to the head and a bone-chilling right to the body.
In an effort worthy of a medal of valor, Bonilla tried to beat the count. He wobbled at the count of nine, but when he swerved against the ropes with glossy eyes, the ref wisely called it a day. Bautista by KO, 24 seconds left in the third stanza.
Though vanquished, Bonilla stayed gracious. Through an interpreter, he told me that Bautista was “a strong, hard puncher.”
Many others were pleased.
“He did really well,” said Freddie Roach. And the only little chink he saw in the Boholano’s armor was his tightness. “He needs to loosen up a little bit, but he’s young and he’ll quickly learn.”
Referee Pat Russell, whom I caught up with after the stoppage was dripping with praise for Bautista: “I’ve never seen a kid so strong. He just kept coming. Boy, Bonilla really took some heavy shots out there. It was a pleasure working with Bautista.”
Manny Pacquiao, whose diamond-encrusted Rolex watch shimmered under the bright fluorescent lights, was already inside the Team Bautista dressing room when I sneaked in. PacMan looked at Boom Boom with a pair of adoring eyes and said, “Ang layo nang aabutin ng bataong ito. Di ba 19 lang siya (This kid will go places. He’s only 19, right)?”
Edito Villamor, the discriminating ex-champ who has been in Bautista’s corner since he joined the ALA fold in 2002, is finally convinced that Rey is ready for prime time. “Hinog na, sir. After one more fight, pwede na para world title.”
But ever so humble, Boom Boom insists that he has a long way before reaching the Promised Land. But he knows how to get there: “Maminaw lang gyud ko sa instructions nila ni Sir Freddie or Sir Edito. (I’ll try to always follow the instructions of my trainers Freddie Roach and Edito Villamor).”
Boom Boom was also all praises for Bonilla, “Matibay at may lakas din (Tough and strong).”
When the bout officially ended, Boom Boom exploded in pure joy. The pressure to perform well, the eagerness to please, were both satisfied. He raised his arms in triumph, draped the Philippine flag over him and mouthed the words “Bohol! Bohol!” as he dashed inside the ring for a victory lap.
I’ve been to many sports events in my lifetime, and last night at the Staples Center I had a sense of knowing that I was watching something special. His trunks told me his name was Boom Boom.
But I know better now. He isn’t just Boom Boom, the kid with the hard looks and easy smile. He is Rey Bautista, a man-child with beastly powers, a world champ in the making.
