Saturday, May 05, 2007 Sayson: Playing psychologist without a license By Homer Sayson Second Overtime
LAS VEGAS -- He is sweet as a spoonful of "kalamay." Pleasant as the first day spring. Like you and me, though, he is only human, perfectly capable of being annoyed, if not flatly miffed.
And that's exactly the mood Rey "BoomBoom" Bautista is carrying these days.
ALA Boy Robert Allanic and Cebuano slugger Fernando Otik will vie for the vacant WBO Asia-Pacific Interim Bantamweight and WBO Asia Pacific Superfeatherweight Youth titles respectively on May 20 in South Korea.
The fight, a co-promotion of Cebu’s SGG Sports Promotion and Korea’s Boxing Plaza, is a teaser to a big boxing event the two nations are preparing to stage here on July 7.
Allanic, who is coming from a heartbreaking defeat to Mexican Abner Mares last May 3 in Philadelphia, will fight Chang Jae Kwon for 12 rounds.
Otik, who is fresh from a third round TKO win over Noli Fabroa last Tuesday, will vie for the title against Hee Jae Jo for 10 rounds.
ALA Gym trainer Edmund Villamor, who will be at the corner of the two Cebuano fighters, said the two pugilists are now battle-ready and when they leave on May 15, he expects the two fighters to be at the top of their preparations.
“Allanic and Otik prepared well. They are on their peak and when we arrive in South Korea they will be very ready,” Villamor said.
Allanic is carrying a 15-3 win-loss card peppered with seven knockout wins while Otik brings a 6-1, 5KOs record to Korea. This card is the second promotion prepared by SGG Sports in Korea.
The first was in Feb. 10 when ALA Boys Czar Amonsot and Mark Jason Melliguen vied for the WBO Asia Pacific lightweight and super-lightweight belts respectively.
Amonsot won the belt by a hard earned split decision while Melliguen lost by TKO. (RCM)
