INQUIRER Sports

ALA fighter Rey ?Boom Boom? Bautista and the rest of his stablemates seeing action on this Friday's ?Hamon sa Kampeon? card at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel all looked sharp and ripped for their respective bouts against foreign opponents during a public workout held yesterday at the SM Cebu's Entertainment Center.

Bautista who was joined by Czar Amonsot, Jason Pagara and Marjun Yap broke sweat in front of curious mall shoppers, and showed crisp combinations and fine footwork that gave a glimpse of the rude welcome that awaits Indonesian Marangin Marbun when they clash for the vacant interim WBC International featherweight title.

The Oct. 16 event will serve as Bautista's comeback fight following a left hand operation that had him sidelined for several months. First bout starts at 5PM.

The card will be telecast on a slightly delayed basis over ABS-CBN's Studio 23, according to ALA Gym head trainer Edito Villamor.

The ALA Gym has continued to make important strides in marketing a boxing event, being the only boxing outfit in Cebu, and perhaps around the country, to make use of mall crowd as an avenue to advertise their events. The ALA Gym is also the only outfit known to visit radio stations and newspaper outlets in their effort to drum up interest in their events. To top it all, ALA Gym has gone to the cyberworld in promoting events, particularly the use of social networking sites Facebook for updates on upcoming events.

Gorres signs up with Top Rank-MP

Meanwhile, ALA fighter Z Gorres has just inked a three-year promotional deal with Bob Arum's Top Rank and MP Promotions of Manny Pacquiao, revealed ALA president Michael Aldeguer yesterday.

?We are honored to be working with Bob Arum and Manny Pacquiao,? Aldeguer informed in a text message.

Gorres is scheduled to face Puerto Rican Eric Morel on Nov. 13 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas in a card presented by Top Rank.

Aldeguer, however, indicated that there is no word yet as to whether Morel has accepted the deal to face Gorres.

The WBO had earlier proposed that Gorres face Morel for the interim WBO bantam title, while regular champion Fernando Montiel defends against ex-champ Gerry Penalosa in December.

The winners of both fights will then face off to decide on one regular WBO 118-lb king.