COMPILING what could only be dubbed as a brilliant record by any yardstick of excellence?22 straight wins against not a single loss, with 18 knockouts to boot?Rey ?Boom! Boom!? Bautista was on his way to fame and glory.
The next Manny Pacquiao.
The next Flash Elorde.
The next Pancho Villa even.
Uh-oh, think again, fellas.
From that 22-0 record embellished with 18 KOs, it would next be blemished by a very ugly defeat. Fate has a way with mortals. Cruel at times.
It came in the diabolical form of a stinging knockout in the U.S., when Bautista got plastered in the very first round by Mexican Daniel Ponce de Leon.
More than Bautista himself, the country was in shock, of course, because Boom- Boom was being bruited about as primed and pumped up to score his first big win on the world stage.
What happened? Where did he go wrong? Why the catastrophic collapse?in the very first round yet?
Simply put, Bautista was not up to the task.
But, in fairness, he was given his second chance. That?s what life is, anyways. Second chances.
So, wounds?Bautista?s and ours?were licked with gusto. Life goes on for Bautista, for us. Time passed by. And then Boom Boom?s redemption was up.
But, horror of horrors, Bautista would lose again after that crushing crash at the hands of Daniel Ponce de Leon.
Again, what happened?
Handlers had found nothing consequential to justify the second loss. It was simply that, Bautista seemed unable always to go big time.
Antonio Lopez Aldeguer, that very patient patriarch of ALA Promotions that nourished and nurtured Bautista?s career from the start, gave Boom Boom a third chance.
And, well, to his credit, Bautista responded well, winning bout after bout. He even increased his knockout count from 18 to 25 as he upped his card to 34-2.
And then came Bautista?s third time at bat: Defend his WBO international featherweight crown in Davao on Saturday against Jose Ramirez?again another Mexican.
Bautista lost by split decision, using the same slow, un-aggressive and dull style.
If Aldeguer would stay true to his threat of retiring Bautista, agreed.
Some people never learn.
