It’ll be a different Rey (Boom Boom) Bautista in the ring when the WBO Intercontinental superbantamweight champion stakes his crown against Mexican tough guy Antonio (Barrio) Meza in the main event of a blockbuster boxing card at the Araneta Coliseum this Sunday morning.
Still smarting from his shocking first round knockout loss to Daniel Ponce de Leon last August, Bautista vowed to exact payback at Meza’s expense and bounce back into contention.
“I’m hungry again,” said Bautista in a press conference organized by Third Force Promotions at the PICC yesterday afternoon. “I have to win. I was hurt in my last fight. I’m prepared for this fight. If Meza is in great shape, so am I. You’ll see a new Boom Boom fighting, with better defense, more head movement. I won’t be a standing target. I’ll pressure Meza. I’ll be aggressive. I’ll fight intelligently.”
But Meza, 25, snapped back, declaring he didn’t come all the way from Mexico to lose.
Meza’s manager Fernando Dominguez said the fighter trained in the Otomi mountains with countryman Luis Maldonado who challenges IBF flyweight champion Nonito Donaire this weekend. Like Bautista, Meza said he’s in excellent condition.
“I respect Boom Boom as a great fighter but I’m a great fighter, too,” said Meza in Spanish. “If I lose, I start all over again from the bottom and wait for another opportunity. But this is my chance.”
Meza declined to reveal what’s in store for Bautista, throwing off the press by claiming he has no fight plan.
“It’s all about tactics,” he said. “I will adjust depending on how the fight progresses. I’ll do my best in the ring.”
Bautista, 21, admitted he has never seen Meza in action, either on tape or in the flesh. The mystery has brought some anxiety in Bautista’s camp.
“We don’t know what to expect from Meza,” said Bautista’s manager Michael Aldeguer. “But Boom Boom’s ready for anything. He’s mentally and physically prepared. We know Meza has studied Boom Boom’s style because his fights are widely shown on TV. That’s his advantage.”
Bautista said he’s excited and of course, nervous. “I want to get it over with,” he went on. “I want to get back in the ring and prove myself. I’ve learned from losing to Ponce de Leon. I’m older now. I know Meza is tough. May the best man win.”
In the undercard, WBO youth superflyweight titlist A. J. Banal takes on Mexican champion Jovanny (Bambino) Soto.
“My nickname in English is Baby,” said Soto whose record is 25-7-1, with 20 KOs. “But that doesn’t mean I’m a baby in the ring. I’ll show Banal what an intelligent and strong fighter I am.”
Banal, 18, refused to be dragged into a word war with Soto. “Let’s just see what happens on Sunday,” he said. “Good luck to both of us.” Banal isn’t just out to defend his crown but also to preserve his unblemished record of 15-0-1, with 12 KOs.
In other bouts, Philippine bantamweight titleholder Michael Domingo faces Tanzania’s Anthony Mathias and WBO Asia-Pacific minimumweight champion Milan Melindo battles Indonesia’s Jack Amisa.
Stealing the show in the press conference was ring announcer Amy Hayes who flew in from Kentucky the other day.
Hayes was dressed in a stunning, body-hugging blue gown and arrived with her father Morris. On Sunday, she’ll wear an outfit she described as seductive, appealing, glamorous, sexy and fun.
Hayes has announced at least 50 fights, including a world title bout, on ESPN, HBO, Telemundo, the Sunshine Network, Showtime and Fox Sports Net.
She has also appeared in the TV series “Baywatch,” “Arrest and Trial” and “Destination Stardom.”
“I’m honored to be a part of this high-class, high-quality project,” said Hayes who has been featured in revealing pictorials in Maxim and Playboy magazines. “Third Force is doing a tremendous job promoting the Philippines through this boxing event. There’s precision in the way Third Force works. I think fans are in for an exciting and spectacular show.”
Games and Amusements Board chairman Eric Buhain guaranteed the fights will be fairly supervised and fans will be treated to a top-notch boxing show. WBO Asia-Pacific chairman Leon Panoncillo, a Hawaiian of Filipino descent, will oversee the title fights at ringside. Hayes and the fighters will appear in a press public preview at Market! Market! in the Fort at 2 this afternoon. Tomorrow, Hayes will host the weigh-in at the Gateway Mall beside the Big Dome.