Pinoy boxers ready for World Cup tilt Sunday

After an intensive training at the Wild Card Gym, now known as Los Angeles' Little Manila, Filipino boxers like Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista, Gerry Penalosa and AJ "Bazooka" Banal are ready to face defending champion Mexico for the Boxing World Cup set on Saturday (Sunday in the Philippines) at the Arco Arena in California. "I don't care that my opponent is a world champion," Bautista, 21, said in an interview with thesweetscience.com website. "I want to fight them all. All of the world champions." Mexico bested Thailand last year in the event organized by Golden Boy Promotions and this time will be facing a formidable team from the Philippines for the $500,000 cash prize. 'This is very exciting," added Z Gorres, who was given the go signal to fight after a tear in his retina was corrected through a laser surgery. "Mexicans have good fighters and we have good fighters." Gorres added that the Filipinos enjoy training at the Wild Card gym. "Nobody stays alone in their room," Gorres said. "We're all in one room. We play cards, play video or go out and play billiards." Apart from Bautista, Gorres and Banal, veteran pugilists like Batawang, Michael Domingo and Diosdado Gabi are all focused on their training. "It's like Little Manila," said Freddie Roach of Wild Card Gym. "We have a good bunch of fighters in here." Bautista is bracing for a hard fight against Daniel Ponce de Leon who will be defending his World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior featherweight world title. And Bautista said he is up to the challenge because he wants to follow the footsteps of Philippine boxing sensation Manny Pacquiao. "I want to be like Manny Pacquiao," says Bautista (23-0, 17 KOs). "I want to have nice cars and a lot of money." Bautista at 21 years old is the top ranked WBO challenger. And he is confident that he can beat his Mexican opponent. "He's a good fighter but I can beat him," Bautista says of WBO champ Ponce de Leon. "I'm ready for a world championship." Twenty-seven-year old Michael "Bruce Lee" Domingo will match up against Miguel Roman of Juarez, Mexico. "I am fast and fight hard like Manny Pacquiao, maybe I can be like him too," Domingo told the website. The oldest Filipino competitor in the event is Bert "Ninja" Batawang, who is the current junior flyweight champion of the Philippines. Batawang is matching up against Mexico City's Gerardo Verde. "This is my first time in America," Batawang said. "I want to be a world champion." Former world champion Gerry Penalosa will be facing Jhonny Gonzales for the Mexican's World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantam title. Meanwhile, Banal who was set to fight Eric Ortiz will have a new opponent which GBP will announce soon, said PhilBoxing.com in another report Wednesday. Ortiz will now face Gorres, who was announced earlier to be fighting Gerson Guerrero, instead of Banal. - GMANews.TV