Quijano: Drama at the Dome

Monday, December 12, 2011

I BROUGHT along a fight virgin with me last Saturday night to watch Rey Bautista repel Miguel Angel Mendoza’s challenge. More than happy to be deflowered with watching a live boxing match was one of my best buds from high school, Siegfred Melleza.

The struggle that ensued at the Lapu-Lapu City Dome was riveting and I think I couldn’t have picked a better night to introduce a good friend to my passion.

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THE FIGHT. The Hoops Dome was packed, and perhaps it had a lot to do with the fact that the main event featured two offensive-minded fighters, one known locally for being an instinctive brawler and the other a visiting knockout artist, albeit untested.

As advertised, Mendoza wasted no time and immediately tried taking off Boom-Boom Bautista’s head with sweeping hooks unloaded with savage intentions.

Curiously, Mendoza’s feral approach seemed to get Bautista off- guard. He froze in the face of such unmitigated aggression and covered up as Mendoza whacked away.

I don’t know what to make of it—maybe he was biding his time and being patient. Or perhaps he has been listening too much to criticism about his over-eagerness to engage in brawls.

Whatever the case, I thought he could already have capitalized on the several openings presented to him as Mendoza was too wild with his punches and was open for flush counters.

And then as if awakening from a deep slumber—and just to buttress my point above—Bautista uncorked a left jab and just like that, down went Mendoza.

It wasn’t a particularly hard jab, but because Mendoza’s defense was practically non-existent and his momentum carried him forward with every lurching punch, the impact was intensified.

He got up immediately more stunned than hurt, but a few seconds later, he went down again from that same punch.

The crowd went wild, sensing a kill like a pack of baying wolves seemingly waiting for the inevitable.

But it was not to be. At least not just yet, as Mendoza still had a lot of fight in him.

In the next few rounds, he would continue banging away irreverently, while Bautista alternately covered and counterpunched. By the fourth round, the Mexican’s face was a bloody, swollen mess but he would not capitulate.

NO MAS. In between rounds, I saw one of Mendoza’s seconds motion to referee Janrex Tapdasan a “no mas.”

But when the ref went closer to verify, the corner had apparently changed their minds.

The ref had to ask again for clarification but this time, one of the cornermen nudged him away.

Atty. Tapdasan promptly ejected him off the ring for such unruly behavior. I spotted my compañero outside the Dome after the fight, still sporting his blood-stained shirt.

He clarified that it’s a no-no for the referee to be subjected to some form of physical contact and so he had to let him know who’s the boss. Way to go pañero!

By the fifth round, Bautista was already boxing more and utilizing the ring, which immediately reaped dividends for him. There were a couple of low blows exchanged, but none too serious to derail the fight.

In the sixth round, Bautista caught the Mexican with a booming left hook that knocked him down. He tried to get up just as the ref counted to 10 but the latter waived it
off.

B+. I think it was a good test for Bautista to be paired off against an aggressive power puncher to see how he reacts to pressure.

He performed admirably well but he definitely needs to work on technique. Any fighter can cover up and take the hits ala Joshua Clottey. But that is a dangerous strategy when facing off against more accurate punchers. The marks and welts on his face after the fight are damning evidence of his porous defense.

When focused, Bautista can be a good counterpuncher. He just has to believe in his abilities. Not all of his opponents can be chinny and will fall from one big shot.

Ergo, he has to develop more poise in the face of attrition and learn to fire back with his combinations. All in all, it’s a B+ for Boom-Boom.

LAST ROUND. It’s on Christianna Rey Yap Gutierrez who celebrates her birthday this week. Cheers!

(jingo_quijano@yahoo.com)