Cebuano sportsman Antonio L. Aldeguer and topnotch promoter Sammy ‘Don King’ Gello-ani are scheduled to face the media today to reveal the name of the opponent for Rey ‘Boom Boom’ Bautista on February 24, which will be the co-feature to the World Boxing Organization (WBO) superfly showdown between reigning champ Fernando Montiel and challenger Z ‘The Dream’ Gorres.
Aldeguer and Gello-ani will meet the media at a noontime press conference today in an upscale restaurant in Ayala, where some other important details regarding the big February 24 event will also be announced.
A Latino fighter is being groomed to face Bautista, who is currently in the thick of training at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, California.
The February 24 world championship showdown will pit Filipino against Latino fighters, and will be only the second world title event to be held in Cebu in recent years.
“This event is sure to be a blockbuster promotion, and surely there will be no problems and fans will be treated to more than quality fights owing to the track record of the organizers” said GAB-7 chief Celso Miranda, pointing out that SGG Promotions has always been admired by the GAB for its outstanding treatment of boxing events.
“We have the date, we have the venue, we have the appointment of the official referee and the judges, and now we will soon have Bautista’s opponent” said promoter non-pareil Sammy ‘Don King’ Gello-ani in an interview yesterday. “It’s all systems go.”
In the mean time, Gorres has intensified his training by slugging it out with sparring partners Russian Dmitri Kirilov and Mike Franco at the Wild Card Gym of famous trainer, Freddie Roach. ALA gym fist broher Rey ‘Boom-Boom’ Bautista sparred with partners Vicente Escobedo and Enrique Cuevedo as they made full use of the remaining time before they fly back to the country.
Gorres, Bautista and trainer Edito Villamor are expected to return to Cebu on February 2.
IBF MOVES TO GET CONDES FOR RACHMAN
After the camp of Filipino Eriberto Gejon failed to meet the deadline imposed by the IBF to respond to an official communication, championship chairman Lindsey Tucker finally decided to move into the next highest rated contender, another Filipino fighter Florante Condes.
Apparently, Gejon’s camp did not want to proceed to the negotiating table to challenge IBF minimumweight champion Muhammad Rachman, so Condes is being tapped to do the job. Reports coming out of the IBF offices indicate that Condes’ camp is all too willing to challenge Rachman.
PACQUIAO APPLIES FOR ELECTION GUN BAN EXEMPTION
Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao visited the Commission on Elections office in Manila early this week to apply for an exemption to the gun ban being imposed for the forthcoming national elections.
Pacquiao had applied for twenty (20) exemptions for his bodyguards, as well as that for the bodyguards of his wife Jinkee, mother Dionesia and his children. Pacquiao did not answer to queries if he discussed his planned candidacy with Comelec officials, only to say it’s still too early to talk about such matters.
