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HBO PPV de la Hoya/Mayweather "The World Awaits" Recap

May 5, 2007

MGM Grand Garden-Las Vegas, Nevada

WBO Number 1 Contender Super Bantamweight (122 pounds) 12 Round Match:

Rey Bautista (22-0, 17 KO's, 122 pounds) vs. Sergio Medina (28-0, 16 KO's, 122 pounds)

Bautista is only 20-years-old,five years younger than his opponent. They are equal in height at 5' 6" tall. Bautista has unofficially gained nine pounds by the time of the match, now weighing 131 pounds. With poverty so rampant in southeast Asia the reason Bautista and now a whole slew of young combat sports competitors are coming out of there, Jim Lampley mentions are that they are doing it to make money to survive.Beginning his fighting career on the streets at the age of 12-years-old, fighting for money insemi-organized boxing matchesthat could only be won by knockout. For those fights he was based $20 per victory and would compete as often as once a week, with the longest time in between fights, beingtwo weeks off.Bautista used the money to pay for his own schooling and buy rice to feed his family.Bautista now earns enough money as a professional boxer to send his sister to college, while competingin a far safer environment. He spent part of the time training for this match in Puerto Rico in the de la Hoya camp, working with Freddie Roach. This is not his first trip to Las Vegas, which should give him experience in dealing with similar big matches as this. Bautista is working to learn English to make himself a more marketable star in the United States, where he can make the most money. Bautista is coming in with 10 knockouts in his last 12 matches.

Medina's arms are an inch longer at 22.5" measured from the armpit to the end of the fist.He has unofficially gained ten pounds by the time of the match, now weighing 132 pounds. Medina has been off for nearly six months and this is his first match outside of Argentina. The Argentinean, while undefeated as an amateur, turned down a trip to the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics to represent his country in boxing. Medina did not want to leave his family behind for the three weeks that he would be competing. This could lead to a poor performance in the ring as now he is competing for the first time outside of Argentina, but on a major show in a city unlike any in Argentina.

Harold Lederman will be keeping the unofficial scorecard for HBO. The rules of this match are: No 3 Knockdown Rule. Only the referee can stop the match. On a cut caused by an accidental clash of heads, the match will be decided by the scorecards after round 4. A boxer cannot be saved from a knockout by the bell in any round.

With 1 minute to go in round 1, the action is stopped, as the referee admonishes Bautista forhitting low. Bautista hit Medina hard on the right hip with a left hand. Round 1 to Medina, 10-9. Harold Lederman also scored round 1 for Medina, 10-9. With 2:09 to go in round 2, action is, again stoppedas the referee admonishes Bautista for hitting below the belt line. The next warning willprobably result in the loss of a point, and it is very early in the match to be getting into that dangerous territory. With 25 seconds to go in round 2, Medina is beginning to bleed from his nose. Medina also, has a red lump forming to the side of his left eye. The lump may be caused from a clash of heads. Round 2 goes to Medina, 10-9. Lederman scores round 2, the same on his card. Both boxers have gone 12 rounds before, so stamina should not be an issue in this match. In round 3, Medina is standing against the ropes and inviting Bautista to cometrade puncheswith him there. Medina is not getting the best of the exchanges with his back to the ropes. Hewill figure this out soon or end up unconscious. With40 secondsto go in round 3, Bautista is given his final warning by the referee for low blows and the next low blow will cost him a point. This match has disqualification written all over it, with three warnings in less then three rounds. Medina's corner are telling him to stand against the ropes and force Bautista to come to him. That is some very bad advice from Medina's corner. Round 3 to Medina, 10-9. Lederman also scored round 3 for Medina, 10-9. We are in agreement with a score of Medina ahead through 3 rounds, 29-28.

Bautista wins round 4, 10-9. Lederman scored round 4, exactly the same. As round 5 opens, Medina is no longer deciding to box with his back against the ropes. Bautista is now cut above his left eye with 40 seconds to go in round 5. With 28 seconds to go in round 5, it finally happens, Bautista throws yet another low blow, and this time loses a point. Due to the point deduction round 5 is even, 9-9. Bautista has out landed Medina 91 punches to 71 punches through 5rounds. According to the commission the cut above Bautista's left eye was cause by an accidental clash of heads. Lederman also, scored round 5 even, 9-9. Within the first 1:20 of round 6, both boxers have been warned twice about watching their heads when coming into close quarters. Bautista definitely is showing the more power of the two boxers to this point, and a slight speed advantage as well. At 1:03 of round 6, a Bautista left sends an off balance Medina to the canvas. With 51 seconds to go in the round Medina, who was arguing that it was a slip and not a knockdown easily answers the referees count and the match continues. Bautista wins round 6, 10-8. Lederman agrees with that score and our score matches at this pointfor Bautista,58-54.Lederman clears up a point from earlier, that the referee is the one who ruled the cut above Bautista's eye was caused by an accidental clash of heads, because in Nevada only the referee can make that determination. Other states allow for other ringside officials to help with the aid of replay or other vantage points, but Nevada is not that sophisticated. The commission can only relay what the referee has ruled.

With 1:30 to go in round 7, Medina is cut open above his left eye and this one is unquestionablythe result ofan unintentional clash of heads. Medina turns the momentum of the matchwith 1:05left inround 7, unleashing a barrage of punches on Bautista. It forces Bautista tograb on to the ropes to save himself from going down and the referee jumps in to call it a knockdown. That may have actually saved Bautista, because Medina was continuing with an onslaught of punches the could have finished the Filipino boxer, when the referee jumped in to start the count. This will give Bautista time to recover and maybe survive the round. With 49 seconds to go in the round, Bautista answers the referees count and action resumes. Bautista barely lasts out round 7. Medina takes round 7, 10-8, and may now be in position to finish the match. Lederman scores it the same way and it is now in favor of Bautista, 66-64. Bautista has never knocked anyone out past round 6. Medina has knocked out opponents as late as round 10. Round 8 goes to Medina, 10-9. Lederman, also scored the last round for Medina. Round 9 to Bautista, 10-9. Lederman also scored the last round for Bautista, 10-9. Our scorecards through 9 agree with Bautista ahead, 85-83.

Round 10 saw Medina return to his strategy of boxing with his back against the ropes, which is still not working for him. Bautista wins round 10, 10-9. With 1:30 to go in round 11, aright hand from Bautista sends Medina to the ground for a second time. With 1:19 to go in the round, action is resumed after Medina satisfactorily answers the referees count. Medina can only win on a knockout at this point. Bautista wins round 11, 10-8, and looks to have secured the win. Lederman also, scored the round 10-8 and at this point its, 105-100, on our cards in favor of Bautista. Medina was rocked at several points in round 12. Bautista took round 12, 10-9 and likely the decision. Lederman and I agree on both fronts with Bautista winning, 115-109.

Here is the official decision with the judges scores: 115-109, 116-108, 115-109; all for the winner by unanimous decision, still undefeated and the new WBO Super Bantamweight Number 1 Contender, Rey "Boom Boom " Bautista. Bautista moves to 23-0 with 17 of those wins coming by way of knockout. The final Compu Box stats show Bautista landed 223 of 668 punches thrown good for a 33% connect percentage. Medina landed 185 punches of the 717 punches he threw good for a 26% connect percentage. Bautista out landed Medina on power punches only 191 to 172, but the connect percentage was drastically different. Bautista connected on 45% of his power punches and Medina only connected on 27% of his power punches, with Bautista throwing the harder power punches. Medina's cardio started to look a little weak at the end and his corner really let him down with some bad advice. He may need to change trainers. However,in this match he was up against a better boxer and was probably going to lose no matter what. He has a ton of potential at still a very young age and with some more seasoning against tougher competition could really be a force in a short time. Bautista is really good, already,and at the age of 20 is only going to get better. There is still more work to be donefor him tobecome a top tier boxer. This was a very exciting and entertaining match, with both boxers putting out a great effort. They should both be mainstays on the United States boxing scene for at least a decade.