Boom goes Dubai in April
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
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THE blockbuster boxing event in Dubai, which features ALA boys Rey “Boom-Boom” Bautista and Milan Melindo, almost went down the drain because ALA Promotions’ partner, the Dubai-based kickboxing promotional outfit KO Promotions, failed to formalize the whole card.
However, Zac Taumafai, KO Promotions president, saved the much-anticipated Dubai boxing extravaganza in the nick of time with a new proposal to hold the card on a later date on April 23.
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“They didn’t meet certain requirements. They weren’t able to meet the deadline (last Monday) that’s why I decided to pull the plug. But they came up with another plan and restructured the whole program,” ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer told Sun.Star Cebu in an interview yesterday.
Schedule
The joint venture of the two promotional companies was supposed to be scheduled on April 9, but it was moved to a later date because some of the requirements weren’t met by KO Promotions.
“This morning I got an email to move the event to April 23 and we’re open to it. In fairness, he (Taumafai) made things happen. They are very serious about it. They didn’t meet the deadline we gave them yesterday (Monday), but they placed things in perspective,” said the young Cebuano promoter.
It was reported in philboxing.com that the reason for the postponement of the event was the absence of Bobby Pacquiao, the younger brother of pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao, who was originally slated to see action in the boxing event.
Because of the postponement, Aldeguer will renegotiate with ABS-CBN on the Philippine television telecast of “Philippines vs. The Rest of The World”.
Press conference
Bautista, Melindo, Aldeguer and ALA Promotions vice-president Dennis Cañete will be flying to Dubai on April 5 to attend a press conference to promote the event in the Arab country.
Bautista, 23, is still scheduled to face Thai Saichon Sotorpitak in a 10-round bout, while the world-rated Melindo is defending his World Boxing Council Youth Intercontinental flyweight crown against Devis Perez.
Also seeing action on the same card are young Filipino prospects Jason Pagara and Larry “Bon Jovi” Canillas.
The 17-year-old Pagara is facing John Gicharu, while KO artist Canillas is trading leathers with Fred Sayuni.
