Friday, August 17, 2007 Bravery cost him a title By Rommel C. Manlosa Sun.Star Staff Reporter
REY “Boom-Boom” Bautista vows to be a better fighter following his first round defeat at the hands of Mexican WBO super bantamweight champion Daniel Ponce de Leon last Sunday in the World Cup of Boxing.
Bautista, who arrived along with fellow ALA Boys Z “The Dream” Gorres and AJ “Bazooka” Banal last Wednesday night in Cebu, held a press conference together with another victorious Pinoy fighter Michael Domingo and SGG Promotion’s Sammy Gello-ani and Michael Aldeguer at the Cebu City Marriott Hotel.
Humbled by the defeat, Bautista said he has learned his lessons well and promised to bounce back and become a greater fighter in his quest to win the world title.
“Although I lost my fight. I am still proud that I fought for the Philippines, I am proud that my first loss was handed by a world champion,” Bautista said.
The 21-year-old Boholano fighter, however, admitted that his loss was due to his lack of immaturity inside the ring.
“No I will not retire. I just believed I lost to a greater fighter. I have learned my lessons and I was feeling a little pressure because of my hand injury but that is no excuse, I will definitely bounce back and achieve what I had dreamed of,” said Bautista.
His trainer Edito Villamor, however, saw the loss differently.
“I never saw a fighter so brave and that is his weakness. My advise to him is try not to be fearless all the time, learn to tame your courage. His bravery cost him his victory,” Villamor said.
Team Bautista admitted that fighting de Leon head on in the early parts of the fight was not their game plan.
“The plan was to fight outside, use the distance to frustrate de Leon and go inside in the middle parts. But that did not happen, Boom-Boom came hard at the onset and he paid the prize,” said the younger Aldeguer.
Extension
The future of Bautista, however, is still bright.
Despite his loss to de Leon, Golden Boys Promotion officially signed the three-year contract extension with Bautista.
“Last Monday, when we had a courtesy call to the Golden Boy Promotions in Los Angeles, CEO Richard Schaefer and vice president Eric Gomez told me to tell everybody in the Philippines that they will give Bautista their 100 percent support, that’s why they signed him to a three-year contract extension,” Aldeguer said.
Aside from this, ALA Gym and SGG promotions had officially sealed their partnership with GBP that will last for at least five years. (RCM)
