The boxing world’s newest star prizefighter, Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista, headlines the undercard for the “Mano-A-Mano, Pilipinas versus Mexico” 80-round card showdown between world champion Manny Pacquiao and Mexico’s Oscar Larios on July 2 at the Araneta Coliseum.
The 10-rounder is a supreme test for Bautista, who is unbeaten in 20 pro fights. The pride of Candijay, Bohol, will face Alejandro Felix Montiel (51-7) in a fight will show whether his most recent win—a sensational 3rd-round knockout of Nicaragua’s Roberto Bonilla—has him ready for the big money.
ABS-CBN, the promotions’ media partner, will broadcast the fight around the globe. It will also be viewed worldwide throughout The Filipino Channel (TFC), which reaches North America, Europe, the Middle East, Australia, Guam, Japan and other parts of Asia.
Like Pacquiao, Bautista is trained by Freddie Roach and Edito Villamor. His manager is Cebu’s Tony Aldeguer, and his business manager is Michael Koncz of Canada.
Boom Boom is expected to be the show-stealer at the Big Dome.
The Bautista-Montiel encounter is one of four 10-rounders featuring three other Mexicans in a special first offering by MP (Manny Pacquiao) Promotions, which the Filipino world champion said is his dream “to make all Filipinos happy.”
A knockout artist from Los Mochis, Mexico, Montiel trains under his father Jose Felix. An orthodox boxer, Montiel has won 30 times by knockout. Standing 5-foot-5, he is ranked 120th out of 697 among the world’s bantamweights.
In the undercard’s other bouts, Tomas Rojas, a last-minute replacement for Gerson “El Nene” Guerrero, is pitted against former world champion Gerry Pe?alosa. Lorenzo Lopez and Jose Pampa train Rojas, the 28-year-old super bantamweight from Mexico City, who boasts a record of 31-6 with 23 wins by knockout.
Adrian “Gallero” Valdez (17-5-3, 9 KOs), from Ciudad Juarez in Mexico, is pitted against Jimrex Jaca. A southpaw, Valdez started his career in 1999.
Silverio “Chamaco” Ortiz Jr., who will fight Randy “Kumong Bato” Suico, is from Merida and is trained by his namesake father. He has a record of 17 wins, seven by knockouts, with nine losses and no draw.
