PARADERO vs MENDEZ ELIMINATOR SET FOR SALUDAR'S 105 BELT
By Dong Secuya
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 03 Nov 2018
Paradero (L) and Mendez (R).
BUT SALUDAR COULD FIGHT ON NIETES-IOKA CARD DEC 31 IN MACAU AGAINST A JAPANESE
PANAMA CITY ? Bukidnon's Robert Paradero, the undefeated WBO Asia-Pacific Youth minimumweight champion and the WBO No. 1 ranked contender in the minimumweight division, will face No. 7 ranked Puerto Rican Wilfredo 'Bimbito' Mendez in an eliminator fight on Dec. 7 at the Ruben Zayas Monta?ez Coliseum in Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico, the fight was finalized and approved during the last day of the 31st WBO Convention here held at the historic El Panama Hotel.
Mendez's promoter Peter Rivera and Paradero's promoter Kenneth Rontal, who were both in attendance at the convention, came into agreement for the fight that will give the winner the opportunity to fight for Vic Saludar's 105 belt. The WBO Ratings Committee later approved the eliminator fight in a unanimous vote. Saludar incidentally is also being promoted by Rontal and is Paradero's stablemate.
Rontal, however, told Philboxing that Saludar could defend his title against Masataka Taniguchi as a co-feature bout of the Nietes vs Ioka WBO world superfly championship on Dec. 31 in Macau. Imminent Japanese boxing matchmaker Joe Koizumi also told the Ratings Committee that Taniguchi could be in the mix for the title. Taniguchi is not yet rated on the Top 15 ranking of the WBO as of the latest WBO rankings, a requirement to qualify to fight for a world title.
Paradero, 22, popularly known as 'Kapitan Inggo', is undefeated with 17 wins and 11 knockouts. He mostly fights in Mindanao and won his WBO Youth title in his hometown in Bukidnon against Royder Lloyd Borbon last April. The Puerto Rico fight against Mendez will be his first foray out of the country.
Mendez, 21, has 11 wins against a loss with 4 knockouts. He came back strong and won his last two fights after absorbing his first loss against Leyman Benavides last March. Last Sep. 28, he won the North American Boxing Organization (NABO) minimumweight title against Axel Aragon Vega in his birthplace in Trujillo Alto. Mendez will have the hometown advantage when he trade leathers with Paradero on Dec. 7.
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