Boom Boom to pursue quest for world crown

Bantamweight sensation Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista’s wish for the new year is to win a world boxing championship for the Philippines.

It’s a wish that he knows can only come true with a lot of hard work, sacrifice and dedication. Bautista, 18, says he’s prepared to do what it takes to reach the top.

Bautista arrived from Los Angeles via Honolulu on a Philippine Airlines flight early Monday morning, attended the 7:30 a.m. flag-raising ceremony at the Manila City Hall, paid a courtesy call on Manila Mayor Lito Atienza, shopped for presents at the Glorietta in the afternoon, spent the night at the New World Hotel in Makati courtesy of Tagbilaran City Mayor Dan Neri Lim and left for Bohol yesterday to distribute Christmas gifts to his family.

Bautista is fresh from scoring a unanimous eight-round decision over Gerardo Espinoza of Mexico at the Sycuan Resort and Casino in El Cajon, California, near San Diego last Dec. 23. He survived a second round knockdown to outpoint the Mexican warrior who has notched 26 stoppages in 28 wins.

Before the bout, Bautista said the Mexican fans at ringside predicted he wouldn’t last three rounds and when he was floored, they thought it was over.

"They were surprised I got up, said Bautista in Filipino. ’Sir Ala (his manager Antonio Lopez Aldeguer’s initials) was nervous but I proved to him my big heart, that I have the spirit of a warrior," added Bautista in halting English.

Bautista said he was inspired by a call from his parents the day of the fight.

"Sabi ng papa ko,"di siya makatulog at alam nya, malakas ang kalaban ko," said Bautista. ’Huwag raw ako magpabaya at maraming umaasa sa akin."

Bautista, the second of six children, told his father Alberto not to worry because he was in perfect condition and Mexicans don’t scare him.

At the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, Bautista sparred with California lightweight champion Edgar Fabian Vargas, superbantamweight Kahren Harutyunyan and superfeatherweight Art Simonyan to get ready for Espinoza. Trainer Freddie Roach supervised the workouts.

Bautista said he was never in danger of being knocked out by Espinoza. He admitted he was stunned but wasn’t badly hurt when he was decked in the second round. It was his first knockdown in a pro fight. In a sparring session a few years ago, he was floored by a Japanese lightweight but that was after he had reduced to 118 pounds.

Sammy Gello-ani, Aldeguer’s right-hand man, said Espinoza caught Bautista off the ropes with a right straight to the jaw to register the knockdown. Bautista was up at three and took referee Tony Krebs’ mandatory eight-count.

"Espinoza is a tough guy and a hard hitter and you can’t afford to get careless against him," said Gello-ani. "Rey showed he can take a punch. He went down, got up right away and never backed off. Espinoza is strong, durable and experienced. He knows how to roll with the punches. In the last round, Espinoza was clinging to Rey, holding him tight and wouldn’t let go. He was ready to go down. If the fight was for 10 rounds, Rey would’ve knocked him out."

An earlier plan for Bautista to stay in the US for training was scuttled to allow a late Christmas celebration with his family in Candijay, Bohol.

For Christmas, Bautista bought clothes and shoes for his mother Susana. He’s buying a motorcycle for his father, a tricycle driver. He also bought lots of presents for his siblings Jocelyn, 21, Bert, 15, Ariel, 12, Shyvy, 9, and Karil, 7. Bautista earned $5,000 for the Espinoza fight.

Gello-ani said Aldeguer, who is arriving from Los Angeles on Saturday, is still finalizing plans for Bautista’s next fight. Bautista might see action in the undercard of Z Gorres’ fight against Waenpetch Chuvatana of Thailand for the Oriental superflyweight title in Manila or Cebu this March. Another option is to fight in the US next month.

Bautista arrived alone from the US as his trainer Edito Villamor stayed behind to work the corners of Gorres and Caesar Amonsot when the Aldeguer boys take on separate opponents at the Orleans Casino in Las Vegas on Feb. 3. Gorres faces Samuel Lopez of Mexico City while Amonsot takes on Arturo Quintero of Las Vegas.

The Bautista-Espinoza fight will be shown Jan. 15 at 9:30 p.m. on the Solar Sports network channel.