PINOY PRIDE 34 OPPONENTS BARED: MELINDO FACES FONTES FOR WBO INT'L TITLE
By Dong Secuya
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 04 Nov 2015
CEBU ? Opponents for comebacking ALA fighters have been revealed for 'Pinoy Pride 34: Back with a Vengeance' card scheduled on Nov. 28 at the Hoops Dome in Lapulapu City.
In the main event, two-time world challenger Milan 'El Metodico' Melindo (32-2-0, 12KO) will take on Carlos Fontes (21-3-0, 17KO) of Hermosillo, Mexico for the WBO international Jr flyweight title. Melindo lost to Javier Mendoza of Mexico for Mendoza's IBF world flyweight title last May 30 in Ensenada, Mexico. Melindo also failed to capture a world title when he lost to WBO/WBA flyweight champion Juan Francisco Estrada on July 27, 2013 in Macau. Fontes had recent losses to WBA interim super flyweight champion Luis Concepcion of Panama and to compatriot Luis Nery (17-0-0, 12KO) of Tijuana but he came back and won his last two fight against Narciso Lopez and Roberto Lopez, both Mexicans.
In the co-main event, 'King' Arthur Villanueva (27-1-0, 14KO) will face Victor 'Spock' Mendez (19-2-2, 15KO) of Hermosillo, Mexico for the WBC international super flyweight title. Villanueva lost Puerto Rico's McJoe Arroyo for the vacant IBF super flyweight championship in his last outing on July 18 in El Paso, Texas in a controversial fashion when the referee stopped the fight in the 10th round due to a cut over the right eye of Villanueva. Mendez won his last five fights after back to back losses over Luis Nery and Orlando Garcia.
AJ 'Bazooka' Banal (33-2-1, 22KO) whose only two losses were for a world title fight, will take on Emilio 'Prince Kilimanjaro' Norfat (25-6-0, 19KO) of Tanzania in a ten-round featherweight non-title fight as he continues to build momentum for another title run. Banal won five straight after losing to Thailand's Pungluang Sor Singyu for the WBO bantamweight title on Oct. 20, 2012. Norfat recently lost to Allan Kamote, also of Tanzania, for the UBO world lightweight title. He also had losses when he fought for the IBF and WBO regional titles, both against Immanuel Naijala in 2012 and 2013.
Rocky 'Road Warrior' Fuentes (35-8-2, 20KO) faces Afrizal Tamboresi of Indonesia in an 8-round super flyweight non-title bout. Fuentes had back to back losses for world title fights, against Amnat Ruengroeng of Thailand on Jan. 22, 2014 for the IBF world flyweight title and against No. 1 pound for pound fighter on the planet Roman Gonzalez of Nicaragua on Nov. 22, 2014 for the WBC flyweight crown. Tamboresi's record, according to boxrec.com, is 3 wins against 1 loss. He last fought and lost to Brad Hore of Australia for the WBF Asia-Pacific super flyweight title on May 23, 2015.
In a special attraction, multi-titled amateur who recently turned professional Kevin Jake Cataraja (1-0-0, 1KO) takes on Indonesian veteran Faris Neggo (10-8-3, 3KO) for a 6-round flyweight bout. Cataraja stopped Ardi Tefa, also of Indonesia, during his professional debut. Nenggo won over former world champion Merlito Sabillo on Nov. 15, 2014 via 4th round TKO and fought but lost to world contenders Paipharob Kokietgym (31-0-0, 24KO) of Thailand and the Philippines' Froilan Saludar (23-1-1, 14KO).
Photo: Melindo (L) and Fontes.
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