Filipino prospect sensation Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista scores another brutal KO on the Barrera-Juarez under card!
Last Saturday night, Filipino prospect sensation Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista showed once again why he is one of the most talked about young fighters in the lower weight classes. At just 19 years old, Bautista is now a fixture in Freddy Roach’s famed Wild Card gym. Under the guidance of Roach, many believe Bautista capable of following in the footsteps of his famed countryman Manny Pacquiao. With another spectacular knock out on the undercard of Marco Antonio Barrera vs. former Olympian Rocky Juarez, Bautista took another step towards validating all of those claims.
In with veteran Nicaraguan Roberto Bonilla , Bautista looked poised and patient stalking his opponent down with stiff right hands and crisp left hooks. Many draw comparisons to Felix Tito Trinidad with the similar sprinters stance and stalking attack. Bautista rocked his opponent several times throughout the first two rounds with well placed power shots. In the third round, a low blow sent Bonilla to the deck and cost Rey a point. In the end, that was futile, as it only took Bautista another minute to send Bonilla slumping into the ropes with a series of powerful combinations. The referee counted him out, and an exuberant Bautista leaped onto the ropes to the ovation of a cheering Los Angeles crowd.
Oscar De La Hoya (president and CEO of Golden Boy promotions who have recently signed Rey) triumphantly held up the hand of Bautista showing his extreme pleasure at the display he had just witnessed. Rumors of Golden Boy’s eagerness to move Rey along and into a title fight with Super Bantamweight WBO champion Daniel Ponce De Leon seem to have been quashed for the moment by the better sense of Bautista Manager Tony Aldeguer who believes Rey should be brought along at a measured pace. At a young 19 years old, Freddy Roach whole heartedly agrees. “I wouldn’t rush him into fighting for the world title. The kid’s just 19 years old and maybe after one year, he’d be ready” Roach said. The problem of course, is that every indication is that Boom Boom is ready now.
Bautista is right back in training for his upcoming fight against veteran Alejandro Felix Montiel at the Araneta Coliseum Philippines on July 2 on the Pacquiao vs. Larios undercard. With this steady and active pace, Roach and handlers are ensuring this brilliant young fighter continues to develop at the right pace. With the power and excitement Bautista brings into the ring, boxing fans everywhere can rest assured the name “Boom Boom” will be a fixture for decades to come.
