MELINDO, VILLANUEVA TO HEADLINE 'PINOY PRIDE 34' IN CEBU
By Dong Secuya
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 21 Sep 2015
Will they come back with a vengeance?
Four ALA Gym fighters who challenged for world titles in their last outings but lost are packed in one card in ALA Promotions and ABS-CBN's 'Pinoy Pride 34' which will make a return at the Hoops Dome in Lapulapu City on November 28 dubbed as 'Back with a Vengeance', this was announced during the presscon launching of the event Monday noon at the St. Mark's Hotel in Cebu City.
Milan 'El Metodico' Melindo (32-2-0, 12KO), who lost in his second attempt for a world title against IBF light flyweight champion Javier Mendoza of Mexico last May 30 in Ensenada, Baja California, will headline the card against a yet to be announced opponent for the WBO international junior flyweight title. This time, Melindo will campaign for a WBO ranking to position himself for Donnie Nietes WBO belt if and when Nietes will vacate the title as he moves up in weight. Melindo earlier lost his first title attempt against WBO/WBA flyweight champion Juan Francisco Estrada on July 27, 2013 in Macau.
King Arthur 'El Matador' Villanueva (21-1-0, 14KO) who lost by controversial decision against IBF super flyweight champion McJoe Arroyo of Puerto Rico at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso, Texas last July 18, will co-headline the card, also against a yet to be determined opponent for the WBC international super flyweight title. Villanueva aims to challenge for the WBC title in the division in his comeback run.
L-R: Kevin Jake Cataraja, Arthur Villanueva, Milan Melindo, AJ Banal and Rocky Fuentes are featured on 'Pinoy Pride 34: Back with a Vengeance' at the Hoops Dome in Lapulapu City on Nov. 28.
Rocky 'The Road Warrior' Fuentes (35-8-2, 20KO) is also on the comeback trail after he lost back to back title fights against IBF flyweight champion Amnat Ruengroeng of Thailand on Jan. 22, 2014 and against WBC flyweight champion Roman Gonzalez of Nicaragua on Nov. 22, 2014. Gonzalez has recently been crowned as the new Ring Magazine pound-for-pound king after the retirement of perennial pound-for-pound best Floyd Mayweather Jr. Fuentes's opponent is TBA.
Also on the comeback trail is two-time world title challenger AJ 'Bazooka' Banal (33-2-1, 22KO) who will take on Emilio 'Prince Kilimanjaro' Norfat (24-5-0, 18KO) of Tanzania in 10-round featherweight contest.
Also on the card is multi-titled amateur and highly regarded prospect Kevin Jake Cataraja (1-0-0) who will take on Faris Nenggo (10-8-3, 3KO) of Indonesia in a 6-round flyweight bout.
Melindo didn't promising anything but just said, ?watch me what I'll do in my future fights.? In his last fight, Melindo was the recipient of Mendoza's aggression in the early rounds but when the tide of the fight was about to turn in Melindo's favor towards the middle rounds, the referee stopped the fight due to the cut suffered by Mendoza whereby Melindo lost by a 6th round technical decision as the fight went to the scorecards.
Villanueva, on the other was emotionally affected by his first loss against McJoe Arroyo. ?I should have won that fight,? Villanueva said who by 10th round technical decision after the referee stopped the fight in the 10th round due to a cut over the right eye of Villanueva. Although the scores were widely in favor of Arroyo, many in the audience and those who watched the fight on TV felt the Villanueva won because he was busier fighter and the aggressor throughout. ?The referee kept on warning me but he was not looking on all the fouls committed by my opponent. But I knew I could have done more on that fight. I was a bit hesitant, I should have let my hands go. That's why I was so frustrated,? Villanueva said who disclosed that he shaved his hair after the fight out of frustration.
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