VILLAREAL SIGNS CONTRACT, READY TO GO
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 13 Jan 2010
After making demands for so-called “neutral judges” and refusing to fight Milan Melindo unless he got what he wanted, American WBC Youth Intercontinental champion Anthony Villareal, who puts his title on the line on Thursday in the main event of “Bakbakan sa Sinulog” eventually relented late Wednesday evening in a meeting with Games and Amusements Boxing Division chief Dr. Nasser Cruz and signed the bout contract.
Villareal reportedly complained that he was the victim of bum decisions in Los Angeles forgetting that he is an American and received alleged bum decisions in America.
According to ALA Promotions vice president Dennis Canete the Villareal handlers wanted to meet with the three judges assigned to the fight “to explain their side and to ask for a fair decision” if the fight goes the twelve round distance.
It was pointed out to them that when Z “The Dream” Gorres fought Vic Darchinyan in an IBF title eliminator in Cebu it was Filipino judge Jonathan Davis who scored the fight for Darchinyan which as a result ended in a draw.
We had earlier pointed to the fact that when Gorres fought Fernando Montiel for the WBO super flyweight title in Cebu in February 2007 he was robbed of the title in a split decision despite the fact that he had clearly out-boxed Montiel most of the way and American judge Danny Nelson scored the fight for Gorres by a wide margin.
In the press conference on Tuesday and the official weigh-in on Wednesday, Villareal had predicted he would hurt Melindo and knock him out.
One boxing aficionado said that if he’s going to knock Melindo out then you don’t need judges, you just need a referee who can count to ten and internationally respected New Zealand referee Bruce McTavish who has been assigned to handle the fight certainly knows how to count.
In stark contrast to Villareal, Mexico’s Cecilio Santos who got a bad decision in a title fight against Dimitri Kirilov which was called a draw, had no such demands and said he is here to fight and do his best.
Santos faces AJ “Bazooka” Banal in a bantamweight battle that is a major test for Banal who needs to prove that he is ready to move up and regain his status as a top world title contender.
Top photo: Villareal pulls a stunt by eating a pizza during the weighin Wednesday at the Event Center at SM Cebu.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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