Boom wants back

By Edri K. Aznar

AFTER suffering a career-threatening wrist injury, Rey “Boom-Boom” Bautista has been working his way in tip-top shape, eager for his ring return. Now, Bautista will have a chance to get back into the limelight with a fight on Oct. 16 at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino in Cebu City.

Bautista has been keeping his left wrist injury quiet since 2007, when he was prospected to be the next big thing in boxing, for fear that he won’t be allowed to fight again.

However, it proved detrimental as the injured wrist, which was operated last February, almost ended his career because the infection could have spread.

Light training

After finishing his physical therapy rehabilitation at the Perpetual Succour Hospital, the 23-year-old Bautista has already started light training at the ALA Gym. He has been working on his footwork and conditioning in the past three months.

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“So far, so good, he has been hitting the bag already. He also did some minor sparring,” said ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer in an interview with Sun.Star Cebu.

Aldguer expects a more mature Bautista because he believes that his ward has learned a lot with all the troubles that have plagued his career.

“He has the heart and has always been very determined. He never complains. Hopefully, he has learned a lot with what has happened to his career. He has been going back to the gym a lot. He has never stopped training even with a cast in his arm.

Expect a different ‘Boom-Boom’ on fight night,” said Aldeguer.

Still strong

Some fighters will never be the same after suffering a major injury, but Aldeguer believes that Bautista will still be as explosive as he once was.

“Knowing Boom-Boom, if he had the rotten bone and fought and endured the pain, then why not now?” he said.

Aldeguer is confident that Bautista still has what it takes to become a future world champion despite the setbacks in his young professional boxing career.

“If you hit rock bottom there’s nowhere to go but up,” said Aldeguer.

Aldeguer said that Bautista will possibly be fighting for a regional title in this fight, so that he will be back in the world rankings.

Also projected to see action in the huge Cebu boxing card are ALA Boys Czar Amonsot, Milan Melindo and Jason Pagara.


Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on August 26, 2009.