Boom Boom claims title but gets booed

CEBU CITY, Philippines – The unfinished business between Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista and his Mexican foe, Heriberto Ruiz, remains.

Due to nasty cuts on both fighters caused by numerous headbutts, the ring physician called a halt to their fight, dubbed “Grudge Rematch,” after seven rounds Saturday evening at the Waterfront Hotel here.

Bautista, who lost to Ruiz on points in their first encounter in Las Vegas in 2008, was the winner this time, after the fight went to the scorecards. All three judges had the 24-year-old Filipino up when the fight was stopped.

Bautista raised his arms when he was declared the winner, but before that, the Mexican camp had started their own celebration, thinking they had won the fight scheduled for 12 rounds.

Ruiz shook hands with Bautista but left the ring shaking his head.

The crowd of some 3,000 booed after the final decision was announced, probably because they had wanted a clean fight or that they had expected a better performance from Bautista, who held back his punches when he should have thrown them.

He got the 33-year-old Mexican hurt a couple of times, but he just refused to pounce on him and go for the kill. It looked like he froze and watched each time he hurt his opponent.

A local daily had its headline shouting yesterday, “Boom Boom Booed.”

Bautista, now the new WBO International featherweight champion, said he gave his best, but the Mexican came to fight a very dirty fight.

“It was the same tactic he used in our first match. I was also cut during that match. He is a dirty fighter. The fight hasn’t even heated up when he started to head butt,” said Bautista.

“I didn’t want the fight to end this way. But it had to because of the cuts. I would have gone on fighting even if I was bloodied. But that’s boxing. I would like to fight him again in a rematch if there’s a chance,” he added in Filipino.

Bautista started bleeding from under his right eye in the third round, and in the fifth it was Ruiz who was cut, also in the right eye. There were numerous warnings of headbutts and low blows from the Filipino referee, Atty. Danrex Tapdasan.

But it did not stop both fighters from colliding, and in the seventh round, at the 2:29 mark, another clash of heads left Bautista bleeding again from a two-inch cut over his forehead. The ring physician was called in, and shortly after he ordered the fight stopped.

As part of the crowd started booing, the Mexican camp started celebrating, thinking that they were ahead in the scorecards. They may have some reason to do so because Ruiz had landed good punches that could have won him a couple of rounds.

“I’m disappointed,” said Michael Aldeguer of ALA Boxing. “Boom Boom wanted to win and give the crowd a good fight.”

Flyweight Edwin Dapudong gave the fans a good fight when he knocked out Indonesian Benja Loemeli in the fourth round, as well as welterweight Jason Pagara who stopped Mexican Juan Carlos Gallegos inside three rounds.

The crowd had wanted more heading into the main bout of the evening, but didn’t get it when the fight came to a halt due to headbutts.

“That’s boxing,” Bautista repeatedly said.