A LOT of expectations lay on the lean shoulders of youthful Rey “Boom-Boom” Bautista. His July 2 match against Alejandro Felix Montiel, a 35-year-old Mexican slugger, will be his acid test. Montiel was one of the bright boxing prospects in his prime.
The Bautista-Montiel fight is in the undercard of the much-ballyhooed Manny Pacquiao-Oscar Larios match set for 12 rounds at the Araneta Coliseum.
High hopes
Bautista’s promoter Oscar Dela Hoya, has high hopes for Bautista. Montiel will be the gauge for Bautista’s preparedness for a world-title match.
The Los Mochis, Mexico native, Montiel, started his career on March 3, 1989, when Bautista was two-years-old.
In a career that spans 17 years, Montiel holds a win-loss-draw record of 51-7-0 with 30 knockouts. His last fight was against Agapito Ontiveros, where he won by fifth-round TKO last May 12 at the Auditorio Benito Juarez in his hometown. He floored Ontiveros three times – in the second, fourth and fifth rounds – before the fight was stopped in 1:44.
Montiel came from a year and 10-month hiatus from a fight against Aaron Sepulveda, where he scored a third-round TKO win in 1:48.
Montiel had lost to Raul Rios, Miguel Espinoza, Tomas Rojas, Jonny Gonzales, Vic Darchinyan, Irene Pacheco and Mark Johnson.
Longest reigning
He was the longest-reigning flyweight champion of the WBC Continental Americas – from March 26, 1994 to Dec. 9, 2000.
He also won the WBC Mundo Hispano super-flyweight title, the Mexican flyweight belt and the International Boxing Association title.
Montiel is two inches shorter than the 5-foot-7 Bautista. Montiel is an orthodox fighter whohad challenged for the IBF 112-pound title twice.
With his vast ring experience and KO power, Montiel will test Bautista, who will try to keep his unbeaten record of 20 fights clean.
“My toughest opponent was Gerardo Espinoza. It made me mature overnight but I got to learn more, more before I’ll fight in a championship bout. I believe Montiel can test me since he is a very mature fighter and a knockout puncher, too,” said Bautista.
Bautista will turn 20 on June 19.
