Reigning RP bantamweight champion Michael Domingo of SGG Stable is dedicating his upcoming fight against Mexican Alejandro Felix Montiel to his stablemate, ALA Boxing Gym sensation Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista.
“I will knock out Montiel for Boom Boom’s sake,” Domingo said. “Also, I really have to win this fight because Sir ALA told me that he’s not going to give my purse if I can’t beat Montiel,” he added.
ALA is the initials of revered boxing patron Antonio L. Aldeguer, the man at the helm of Team ALA.
Bautista, the current WBO Asia Pacific bantamweight crown-holder, was originally set to face Montiel in the undercard of Manny Pacquiao-Oscar Larios battle topbilling the mammoth “Mano-A-Mano Philippines vs. Mexico” card on July 2 at the historic Araneta Coliseum.
However, the Boholano boxer was forced to pull out of the card after he was hospitalized last Sunday because of a virus infection that inflicted him high fever and severe coughing. He was discharged from Cebu Doctors’ Hospital yesterday morning.
After learning he was picked to replace Bautista, Domingo immediately packed his things up and left for Manila together with another ALA ring star Czar Amonsot, who will also see action in Pacquiao undercard against Silverio Ortiz.
Like Domingo, the pride of Tagbilaran City Amonsot is also a last minute sub for Cebuano hard-puncher Randy Suico, who withdrew from the Ortiz bout because of a world title shot against unbeaten WBA lightweight champion Juan Diaz on July 15 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“I’m ready. I’m going to put up a very satisfying fight because I want to help Manny Pacquiao in his promotion. The Filipino boxers owe the international recognition they gained to Pacquiao and we should repay him for that,” said Domingo.
Since hooking up with international promoter Sammy Gello-ani early last year, Domingo showed resurgence in his career by racking up six straight wins. He dethroned Joel Bauya by technical decision to emerge as the new RP bantam titlist on July 30, 2005 at the San Andres Sports and Civic Center in Manila.
Domingo, who carries a 20-12-3 record spiked with 7KOs, defended his throne twice, the last was via 9th round TKO of ex-WBC International 118-pound champion Roger Galicia last February 3 at Larga Pedrista in Quezon City.
The 35-year-old Montiel, on the other hand, brought with him an impressive 51-7 win-loss ledger dotted with 30 knockouts.The former IBA flyweight title-holder hurdled his last two fights via stoppage against Aaron Sepulveda (TKO3) and Agapito Ontiveros (TKO5) only two months ago at his hometown in Los Mochis, Mexico.
