THREE TOP ALA FIGHTERS FEATURED IN ?LEGEND IN THE MAKING?
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 27 Apr 2016
Three top fighters from the famed ALA Gym will see action in the ?Pinoy Pride 36? fight card aptly titled ?Legend in the Making? which is effectively a tribute to WBO light flyweight champion Donnie Nietes, the longest reigning Filipino world champion who will battle Raul ?Rayito? Gracia at the University of La Salle Coliseum in Bacolod City on May 28.
Two other ALA boxers ? Milan Melindo and King Arthur Villanueva ? who are both striving to regain their rankings following controversial defeats last year, will be featured in the attractive card presented in cooperation with the giant broadcast network ABS-CBN.
While it may not be as riveting as the massively successful ?It's About Time? presentation at the Cebu City Sports Center last April 23 before 25,000 cheering fight fans, the Bacolod City card headlined by Nietes who is a favorite son of Murcia, a town on the outskirts of Bacolod, is bound to attract a huge crowd after fans clamored for ALA Promotions to give them another chance to see Nietes in action after he won the accolade of surpassing the longtime record of the late, great world junior lightweight champion Gabriel ?Flash? Elorde.
Nietes who won the world light flyweight title with a lopsided twelve round unanimous decision over Ramon Garcia Hirales, the identical twin brother of ?Rayito? Garcia on October 8, 2011 faces the 32 year old southpaw who is determined to avenge his twin brother?s defeat and has an impressive record of 36-3-1 with 22 knockouts.
But the 33 year old Nietes who has a record of 37 wins with 21 knockouts and one highly questionable loss in Indonesia to Angky Angota early in his career is aiming to cement his status as a true legend of the sport from the Philippines.
Former two-time world title challenger Milan "El Metodico" Melindo (33-2, 12KOs) who is eagerly looking for a rematch with Javier 'Cobrita" Mendoza (24-3-1, 19KOs) of Mexico will clash with the 25 year old former champion who lost his title to Japan?s Akira Yaegashi last December 29.
Mendoza is a 25 years old southpaw with a record 19 knockouts in 24 wins with 3 defeats and is determined to prove his victory in his first meeting with Melindo was not controversial in a fight which is an IBF itle eliminator with the winner to tangle with champion Yaegashi.
The controversy arose after American referee Gerald White stopped the bout after Mendoza sustained a nasty cut over his left eye with the referee claiming the cut was caused by a head-butt while the corner of Villanueva insisted the cut was opened up by a legitimate punch and King Arthur should have been declared the winner.
However, referee White went to the scorecards where all three judges had Mendoza the winner.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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