REY “Boom-Boom” Bautista wished to challenge WBO super bantamweight champion Mexican Daniel Ponce De Leon but that wish was denied when news came out the Mexican camp refused to accept the offered purse, effectively postponing the earlier scheduled World Cup Boxing to July.
Aside from Bautista, one of the protagonists of the blockbuster boxing event, Gerry Pe?alosa, was also disappointed when Mexican champion Johnny Gonzalez also refused to fight.
But in a sudden twist of events, Pe?alosa got what Bautista wished for—a crack at De Leon’s world title.
The former WBC super flyweight king, who is now 34, will fight super bantamweight De Leon on March 17, underneath the Marco Antonio Barrera vs. Juan Manuel Marquez showdown at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas Nevada.
Mismatch
Many boxing pundits believe that it will be a mismatch in De Leon’s favor.
De Leon, who has a 30-1 record with 28 KOs record is on the top of his game at 27, compared to Pe?alosa who parades a 51-4-2 win-loss-draw card peppered with 34 KOs.
Before accepting the Golden Boy Promotions (promoter of both De Leon and Pe?alosa) offer, Pe?alosa sought the advise of former managers, lawyer Rudy Salud and Antonio Lopez Aldeguer.
Both asked Pe?alosa to reject the offers.
However, Pe?alosa’s trainer and manager Freddie Roach thought otherwise.
The celebrated boxing trainer believed De Leon couldn’t hurt the Cebuano warrior and there is a good possibility he could take the belt of the Mexican warrior.
