Sunday, March 25, 2007 ALA boys leave for US training
BOHOLANO sensation Rey “Boom-Boom” Bautista and fellow ALA Boy AJ “Bazooka” Banal will fly to the US on Monday to prepare for their May 5 fights at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Bautista and Banal will make a short stop in Los Angeles before joining promoter Oscar dela Hoya, who is the main attraction of the card against Floyd Mayweather Jr.
“Tomorrow they will leave for Manila to attend the Elorde awards night and on Monday they leave for the States,” ALA Boys mentor Antonio Lopez Aldeguer told Sun.Star Cebu.
The ALA Boys will only stay for one week in LA as they are scheduled to leave for Puerto Rico on April 1 to rendezvous with dela Hoya and their trainer Freddie Roach, who are now burning mitts in preparation for the Mayweather fight.
Bautista, the WBO inter-continental and WBO youth super bantamweight champion, will fight under the dela Hoya-Mayweather WBC Jr. middleweight championship. Banal, who was personally picked by dela Hoya to fight in his promotion, is to see action in an eight-round contest.
GBP Golden Boy Promotions matchmaker Sampson Lewckowicz is still shopping for a good opponent to test Banal in his US debut.
The WBO No.1 super bantamweight contender Bautista will fight Sergio Medina, the WBO No.2 contender, in an eliminator bout scheduled for 12 rounds. The winner of this fight will fight WBO champion Daniel Ponce De Leon for the world title.
Meanwhile, Cebuano promoter Sammy Gello-ani of the SGG Sports Promotion will again receive the Promoter of the Year award for the second straight year in the Banquet of Champions. (RCM)
