Lucky Boom Boom

Rey ‘Boom Boom’ Bautista is one lucky boxer.

Yes he lost his last bout after falling in the first round, but the boy’s so lucky to be with people who truly care for his career and haven’t lost hope on his potential.

As Ninong Tony Aldeguer put it, Boom Boom’s loss to WBO super bantamweight champion Daniel Ponce de Leon was nothing to be ashamed of.

If it was just some boxer out of nowhere who kayoed Boom Boom, then it was another story.

Last Monday, I attended a boxing presscon again after a rather lengthy period.  Boom Boom was there along with his handlers and the people behind the Third Force Promotions that has put together Payback at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City this December 2.

This promotion will mark Boom Boom’s comeback after his stunning loss and more importantly, as former PBA commissioner Noli Eala put it, payback also marks the return of big-time boxing to Manila.

What a venue for Boom Boom to stage a comeback and I hope he’ll be successful in this fight against Mexican Antonio Meza and start working his way up to a world championship crack again.

When Eala explained what was to be expected of the card made me wish that they are holding the event in Cebu instead of Metro Manila.

The Las Vegas glitz and glamour will be part of the entire entertainment package said Eala and those who would watch the boxing promotion will surely get their money’s worth.

For those of us who hate going to Manila or simply don’t have the chance to go to the Araneta Coliseum, don’t feel too bad because ABC-5 is airing the bout.

I still have to check if the bout would be aired live or not, but no less than ABC’s big boss Tony Boy Cojuangco was also there at Monday’s presscon to show his all out support to the card.

Aside from Boom Boom, AJ ‘Bazooka’ Banal will also be featured in the card and so is RP champ Michael Domingo.

Since I have sort of been detached from boxing for quite sometime, I realized that there were a few things that held these boxers together that I can very well related with.

One of them of course is Ninong Tony, who untiring passion and support for boxing helped put the sport where it is today in our beloved Cebu.

The other one is my good friend and former RP champion Edito ‘Ala’ Villamor, whose ring exploits were among those I closely followed as a neophyte sportswriter.

Edito is now the trainer of the boxers of the ALA Stable and he has done a very good job in molding champions and ring superstars.

Excellent skills and a good manager are just among the things that can help a boxer go places and win titles.  Having an excellent trainer is also very important.

Just take a look at how the career of Manny Pacquiao took a turn for the better when he was taken under the wings of Freddie Roach.

Edito may not have become the world champion that we all hoped he’d become back in the early 1990s, but today he is a most important component in molding these young men into the future world beaters of the ring.

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MILESTONE: Belated happy birthday greetings to my cousin Wella Llanos-Crowder, who turned a year older last Monday.

I could not greet her in person anymore as she also flew to Hong Kong that day along with her husband Jimmie and their daughter Sofie on their way back to the US.

More power to you Wella!