Booming Bazooka

As boxing fans eagerly await the official announcement of the Pacquiao-Marquez rematch, they will all be treated to another Sunday morning of boxing featuring two boxers who are being groomed to follow in the footsteps of the “Pambansang Kamao.”

Every time the question of succession is discussed, there is no unanimous reply as to who deserves to be called the next in line to the Pacman. Z Gorres, Boom Boom Bautista, Rodel Mayol and Yuka Gejon had their chance earlier this year, but it was the unlikely trio of Nonito Donaire, Florante Condes and Donnie Nietes who got the job done without all the fanfare and hype that the likes of Boom Boom and Gorres have received.

And so we ask again. Should Boom Boom still be part of this list of future world champs? The steep road to that elusive goal starts today when Boom Boom defends his WBO Intercontinental super bantamweight championship against Mexico’s Antonio Meza at the Araneta Coliseum.

While I expect Boom Boom to win handily, I would like to caution boxing fans that a win today won’t guaranty a world championship immediately. Boom Boom has a lot to learn about the game and it will take another four or five bouts before he will be given another shot at a world championship. Let’s put it this way. His first round knock-out loss to WBO super bantamweight champ Daniel Ponce de Leon was so devastating that many doubted if Boom Boom could ever recover from such a traumatic experience.

If we want to know where Boom Boom sits in the super bantamweight division, all we have to do is look at its champions. Israel Vasquez is recognized as the best among the current champions with Rafael Marquez, Daniel Ponce de Leon and Steve Molitor right behind Vasquez. It’s tough to gauge where Boom Boom should be ranked in this lot as his first round loss to de Leon didn’t help boost his stock at all. I’d like to see Boom Boom ranked as low as possible so he realizes how tough this road to the top can get.

It’s better this way so that Boom Boom will be forced to somehow start all over again and reach the top the hard way. Whether or not he has learned his lesson from that devastating loss will be known not only today but more so in his next three fights. Does he have the confidence back? Does he now realize the importance of defense and covering up? Is he mentally prepared to climb up the ring again for all his next crucial fights? It’s not a question of skills and talent as Boom Boom has all this. It’s a big question of whether or not he has the heart to win it all.

If you’re looking around for another boxer with a “future world champ” tag, then you shouldn’t miss the fight of AJ “Bazooka” Banal. While some analysts say that he’s overrated and is still rough, some have also said he’s so much better than Boom Boom or even Pacquiao when they were still 18 years old. I guess the easiest way to see which opinion you’d agree with is by watching his fight today. We didn’t see much of Banal in his last fight since it lasted less than a round. I just hope well get to see more of Bazooka when he defends his WBO Youth super flyweight title against Mexico’s Jovanny “Bambino” Soto.

Banal is one of those textbook-type of boxers whose stance, style and savvy shouts out and impresses. He has the unique combination of boxing grace, power and boxing bravado that he proudly carries. His combinations are picture perfect, with his left straight as his primary weapon. But if this isn’t on cue, his left uppercut and right hooks are just as lethal especially when coming from three or four-punch combos. He’s simply a sight to watch on top of the ring.

Banal is a blue chip prospect whose career must be managed well and with great care. While he’s already considered as a world-class boxer, he shouldn’t be rushed into the limelight just yet. He’s very young and like Boom Boom, has a lot to learn from the sport. I’d like to see Banal go up against quality boxers. He doesn’t deserve to go up against patsies as he’ll never learn from this kind of fights. While I’m sure that the ALA management team is careful about picking his opponents, they should also make sure that Banal will face opponents who can give him a tough time and teach him a lesson or two. This is how world champs are made. They face the toughest along the way to the top. The irony of it all is that Banal seems to always overwhelm all his opponents in lopsided fights. I just hope that Soto is not going to be another easy prey to add to an undefeated record.

So sit back, relax and enjoy the show. Like you, I’ll be sitting in the comforts of the house, praying that we’ll see more boxing than TV commercials, hoping that we’ll get a better look at our champs in waiting: Booming Bazooka.

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Time-out: Today is the first Sunday of Advent. It’s never too late to prepare for Christmas. >>> You can reach me at [email protected].