‘Payback’ weigh-in set today

PASAY CITY – The protagonists of the “PAYBACK:Resbak Para sa Kababayan” triple championship boxing promotion will once again converge today for the official weigh-in that will be done in public at the Gateway Mall in Cubao, Quezon City.

WBO vice president for Asia-Pacific Leon Panoncillo will supervise the affair that will start at 10:00 in the morning. He will be assisted by the officials of the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) led by chairman Eric Buhain.

“This is going to be a spectacular show. Everybody is expecting a great fight especially between Bautista and Meza. We’re excited for the show to happen,” Panoncillo said.

ALA Stable star Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista (23-1, 17KOs) will defend his WBO Intercontinental super bantamweight title against Mexican toughie Antonio “Barrio” Meza (33-2, 19KOs) in the main attraction of the multi-million extravaganza put up by Third Force Promotions this Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum.

This marks Bautista’s comeback since his devastating first-round knockout loss to WBO super bantamweight champion Daniel Ponce de Leon in the Boxing World Cup last August 11 at the Arco Arena in Sacramento, California.

In the supporting main event, ALA prodigy AJ “Bazooka” Banal (15-0-1, 12KOs) will put his WBO Youth super flyweight crown on the line against the dynamite-fisted Mexican Jovanny “Bambino” Soto (25-7-1, 20KOs).

In the other featured title match, another undefeated ALA mainstay Milan Melindo (13-0, 4KOs) will make the first defense of his WBO Asia-Pacific minimumweight throne against Indonesia Jack Amisa (17-3, 13KOs).

“As far as my boys are concerned, they have no weight problems. They peaked just perfectly right for this Sunday’s big event,” said ALA chief trainer Edito Villamor.

Three other ALA standouts will show their stuff in the four-nation spectacle in RP bantamweight titlist Michael Domingo, RP flyweight champion Rocky Fuentes, and Joseph Omanz.

Domingo will tackle a Tanzanian national champion  Anthony Matias, Fuentes takes on Ritchie Mepranium and Joseph Omanz slugs it out with Albert Cesa.

 The rest of the bouts pit Jason Pagara versus Anton Olarte, Bai Elorde against Cris Dollosin, and Marron Sanchez of Cebu’s Omega Stable opposite Mandaluyong’s Jesson Perater.

Yesterday afternoon, all the “PAYBACK” fighters led by Bautista and Meza gave the Manileños a glimpse of their punching skills during the “Training Day at the Mall” at the Market!Market! in Taguig.

The entire card will be broadcast live on ABC-5 starting at 9 am, while a live webcast worldwide will be made available on netvision.com.