REY ?BOOM-BOOM? Bautista celebrated his return from a briefly interrupted boxing career with a 4th round technical knockout victory over veteran Giovanni Andrade of Brazil at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida Saturday evening (Sunday morning, Manila time).
Bautista, who had two fights cancelled this year due to an ailment and an injury, was all business in the abbreviated super bantamweight match that saw his 36-year-old opponent trying to mock the youthful Filipino sensation by show-boating and putting his guard down.
The Boholano native from the obscure town of Candijay responded with impressive shots to the head and body, which Andrade later described as “powerful body shots that felt like I was being stabbed.”
He complained of shortness of breath after the third round and his corner advised the referee that he was unable to continue, thus giving Bautista the 4th round TKO win in their scheduled 10-rounder.
While being checked by the ring physician, he was seen grimacing and gasping for breath.
Working his corner during the fight was Freddie Roach and ALA Boxing Stable chief trainer Edito Villamor. Also at ringside was co-promoter Sammy Gello-Ani, a long-time associate of Tony Aldeguer, the Cebu-based businessman and boxing patron who has nurtured Bautista?s career.
In a long distance conversation with the Bulletin, Bautista described Andrade as a wily fighter who knew all the tricks in the book and used them in the fight to try to gain an advantage.
But he failed this time.
Boom-Boom revealed that he caught the Brazilian champion with a hard punch to the chest area and followed it with a left to the kidney area and that was it.
Bautista said he felt Andrade pause and grunt, indicating he had been hurt. He said he was not surprised that Andrade called it quits because he knew that he had delivered a solid and savage blow.
Boom-Boom said his famous promoter and boxing icon Oscar de la Hoya kept shouting to everyone after the fight, “That?s my Boom-Boom!”
The young boxer said he was getting embarrassed as he felt de la Hoya was getting too excited and proud about his win.
Gello-Ani, in the same conversation, announced that negotiations were ongoing with Golden Boy Promotions for a Mexico-Philippines World Cup in February when Cebuano Z Gorres challenges WBO champion Fernando Montiel.
GBP has suggested two more title matches in the said card, possibly involving Boom-Boom and comebacking Gerry Penalosa. He also said De la Hoya partner Bernard Hopkins was very excited at the prospect of coming to the Philippines for the promotion.
Gello-Ani said Shane Mosley would also fly over should it push through.
At the time of the phone call, it was 2 a.m. in Florida, and Team Bautista was having a late dinner at Gello-Ani?s hotel room at the Hyatt Regency Tampa with the famished Bautista, Villamor, and US-based Cebuano newsman Homer Sayson feasting on pizza and buffalo wings. They fly out from Los Angeles for home on Monday, December 4, US time.
Bautista displayed excellent work ethic, with quick jabs and combinations as well as good recognition as he kept his guard up for Andrade?s counter punches. The wily veteran tried to bait Boom-Boom to by trying to goad him into losing his temper, but the Filipino showed great discipline by just sticking to his fight plan.
The 20-year old Bautista, the WBO No. 11 contender, now has a sterling record of 21 wins with 16 stoppages. Andrade dropped to 53-10 with 43 KO?s. The Filipino rising star is seen by many including respected TV analyst Dave Bontempo, who covered the fight as ripe for a world title shot.
De la Hoya even introduced Bautista in the pre-fight press conference as “the next Manny Pacquiao”.
He also revealed that he had penciled in Bautista in the undercard of his fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in May next year. However, they will have to take into consideration what happens to the plans for a World Cup in February.
