Melgarejo Retains RP Super-Featherweight Crown With a Tough Win
By Salvador Lopez
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 22 Jun 2009
Aaron Melgarejo successfully retained his RP super-featherweight title with a hard-fought majority decision victory over a surprisingly tough challenger in Mike ?Tyson? Tumbaga in their 12-round championship fight in the main event of the ?Bakbakan sa Munti? (?Slugfest in Munti?) held last Saturday at the Muntinlupa Sports Complex, Muntinlupa City.
Watched by a big horde of his fans, including his illustrious uncles and grandfather who at some point in their career have been regional or national titleholders, Melgarejo, a previous sparmate of Manny Pacquiao and who fights out of the Olivetti Boxing Stable of Binan, Laguna wanted to put up an impressive performance and in the first five rounds was throwing big punches meant to end the fight early. Several of his shots found their mark including a big right to the body in the fourth round that made Tumbaga winched. Sensing a knock-out, Melgarejo mounted an attack and had Tumbaga in trouble in the same round. Nonetheless, Tumbaga, who fights out of the Highland Boxing Stable of La Trinidad, Benguet, was able to withstand the onlslaught and started to score against the tiring Melgarejo. The middle rounds were close: Tumbaga often surprised Melgarejo with a quick right that got the crowd roaring and Melgarejo coming up with a quiet but fast and crisp counter uppercuts to the head. It was in these rounds that Tumbaga probably missed his chances as he was unable to make a follow-up whenever he made some good connects on the visibly tired Melgarejo. The two boxers coasted in the latter rounds where the tide appeared to tilt in Melgarejo's favor before they slug it out in the final round where Tumbaga got the better of the exchanges. In the end, Melgarejo got a close but deserved majority decision. (118-110, 115-113, and 115-115).
The tough fight came as a surprise to many boxing pundits and fans alike who expected a short work-out by Melgarejo. However, it may be these kind of fights that he would need to better prepare him for the more lucrative titles, including the Orient Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) title for which he is currently rated as the number one contender.
Rounding off the results of the other bouts:
Main Supporting Bouts:
Pit Anacaya of the Yolly Alfante Stable prevailed over Donnie Mabao via a 10-round unanimous decision to emerge as the new interim LUZPROBA mini-flyweight champion;
Rey Megrino of the Highland Boxing Stable scored a 5th round TKO win over Albert Alcoy in a most entertaining fight to capture the LUZPROBA flyweight crown; and
Warlito Parrenas of the Panther Boxing Stable scoring a quick 1st round TKO victory over Jason Geda to crown himself as the new LUZPROBA super-flyweight champion.
Preliminaries:
Ricardo Roa of the Jaro Boxing Stable defeated Bonbon Benculado in their 8-round super-flyweight bout (76-75 in all three judges' scorecards) with the one point deduction imposed on Benculado as a result for a cut sustained by Roa from accidental headbutt accounting for the margin of victory;
Alan Tadana of the Wildcard Boxing Gym failed to live up to his explosive style but nonetheless scored a lackluster unanimous decision victory over Jericho Hizon in their 6-round bantamweight fight;
Roque Lauro of the Elorde Gilmore Boxing Stable prevailed over Rey Mercado by decision in their 6-round minimum-weight bout;
Joan Imperial of the Ariscon Boxing Stable defeated Butch Flores via a decision in their 4-round junior flyweight fight; and
Dennis Tubieron of the Ariscon Boxing Stable defeated Claver Bentolero in their 4-round bantamweight bout via a decision.
The event was presented by the regular TV boxing program ?In This Corner? and made in cooperation with Dante Alamrio Boxing Promotions with the sponsorship of Mayor Aldrin San Pedro of Muntinlupa City.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Salvador Lopez.
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