MELINDO PREDICTS KO IN FIVE
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 26 Nov 2010
The normally cool and calculating Milan Melindo, the undefeated fighter from the famed ALA Gym appeared riled by the statements of former IBF light flyweight champion Carlos Tamara and his trainer Edgar ?Butch? Sanchez who proclaimed that ALA Promotions ? made a terrible mistake? in matching Melindo against the former Olympian from Colombia.
Sanchez said ?this is certain to be a great fight. It may well be the ?Fight of the Year? on an exciting fight card presented by ALA Promotions in cooperation with ABS-CBN titled ?PINOY PRIDE 2: The Best-of-the Best? which will be telecast on Sunday at 10:15 a.m. over Channel 2.
Also featured on the undercard will be hard-hitting Rocky Fuentes who will defend his Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation title against worthy challenger Inthanon Sitchamuang of Thailand. Fuentes who beat three Japanese in succession in Japan is happy to be fighting before a hometown crowd after some time and said ? I want to go up the world rankings and be a world champion.?
At a luncheon press conference at the Waterfront Hotel & Casino on Thursday, Melindo said ? Don?t say it. Just do it. I am a counter puncher so let?s see in the ring. I will win by knockout inside five rounds.?
One of the most skilled fighters in the country Melindo has acquired some punching power after working diligently with strength and conditioning coach Pio Solon who told us Melindo was in great shape and ready to go.
Even Tamara?s trainer said they had watched some tapes of Melindo?s recent fights and conceded he had clearly added some power. Although Tamara is taller, Melindo has bulked up without losing his speed very much like pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao ever since he worked with strength and conditioning guru Alex Ariza.
Both Tamara had sparred a total of 150 pounds with former IBF bantamweight champion Joseph Agbeko who beat Vic Darchinyan and undefeated Carlo Smbrano . He said he had trained harder than for the title fight in which he stunned Brian Viloria to win the IBF light flyweight title with a 12th round TKO.
Tamara said ?this is the most important fight for me and I expect to win and put on a good performance. I will be world champion again.?
A win for Melindo would put him in line for a world title shot since he is rated in all the world organizations according to ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer who said the battle between the classy Melindo and the aggressive Tamara ?is a fight everybody has been waiting for.?
Other fights on the card pit former IBF minimum weight champion Florante Condes against former OPBF title challenger Kenichi Horikawa who lost to the Philippines Michael Landero in a title fight and multi-titled former OPBF champion Randy Suico who clashes with Philippine welterweight champion Arnel Tinampay.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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