Tuesday, April 08, 2008 Champs in our midst as ALA boys arrive
ALA boys Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista and teenage boxing sensation AJ “Bazooka” Banal, along with their chief trainer Edito Villamor, arrived in Cebu City yesterday from Manila after their conquest in the “Invasion: The Philippines vs. The World” at the Araneta Coliseum the other day.
Reigning World Boxing Organization Inter-Continental superbantamweight champion Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista and AJ “Bazooka” Banal are set to fight in June and July.
ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer yesterday told Sun.Star Cebu that they are planning to give Bautista his next fight in July in celebration of the Sandugo Festival in Bohol, while he is hoping that Banal can fight on June in Cebu City after suffering a sprain in his right hand.
“We will take time for Banal to fight for a world championship since he is still young, two years yet in pro at age 19,” Aldeguer said. “So that Boom Boom can gradually return. To Gerry, I’m happy that he retained his crown.”
Villamor, on the hand, said that it may take a month before Banal’s sprained hand to heal, depending on how his body copes.
Villamor said they arrived at 4:30 p.m. at the Mactan Cebu International Airport via Philippine Airlines and went to the ALA gym after their television interview yesterday.
He said he is happy with his fighters’ performance, “Maayo ang gipagawas sa mga bata, nakahatag gyud silag pride sa atong mga kababayan,” said Villamor. (What they showed was good, they made their countrymen proud.)
Bautista (25-1, 18 KO’s) won a second round KO over Genaro Camargo (16-4, 10 KO’s) to keep his WBO superbantamweight crown, while Banal protected his unscathed record (17-0-1, 14 KO’s), stopping Caril Herrera (21-1, 13 KO’s) at the 1:18 mark of the fourth round to become the number one contender in the International Boxing Federation super flyweight division. (NSM)
