ALA Promotions Launches PINOY PRIDE 4: PHILIPPINES VS THE WORLD
By Rene Bonsubre, Jr.
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 24 Feb 2011
Cebu City - ALA Promotions officially launched their second blockbuster card for 2011 during a press conference held Thursday noon at the Mooon Caf? at the I.T. Park in Lahug, Cebu City. Five Pinoy boxers will square off against foreign opponents with Milan ?Metodico? Melindo facing Rosendo Vega of Mexico in the ten round main event.
Melindo (23W-0L, 7 KO?s) is on a hot streak for the past two years having beaten two former world champions Muhamad Rachman and Carlos Tamara. Vega (17W-6L, 11 KO?s) has also experienced facing high quality fighters having lost to WBA world flyweight champion Daiki Kameda in a non-title fight last year.
Melindo is in a rather difficult situation as a possible world title challenger. He was scheduled to fight in an eliminator for the IBF world flyweight title held by Moruthi Mthalane of South Africa. But the likes of Fred Mundraby of Australia, Rayonta Whitfield of the U.S. and countryman Richie Mepranum turned down the offer to face Melindo.
Top photo (L-R): Trainer Edmund Villamor, Rocky Fuentes, AJ Banal, ALA President Michael Aldeguer, Milan Melindo and Trainer Edito Villamor pose during the Pinoy Pride 4 presscon at the Mooon Cafe IT Park in Lahug, Cebu City.
Milan Melindo.
Michael Aldeguer stresses a point as AJ Banal looks on.
OPBF champion Rocky Fuentes is highly ranked among 4 boxing organization may get a world title shot soon.
Photos by Dong Secuya.
Melindo feels he can easily beat Mthalane. ALA Promotions will work on securing the mandatory challenger position for him.
Also seeing action is AJ ?Bazooka? Banal, who will face Tanzania?s Black Panther Francis Miyeyusho. Banal (23W-1L-1D, 18 KO?s) won by a much talked about disqualification in his last fight against former two time world champion Luis Perez of Nicaragua. The southpaw from Ermita,Cebu City won the WBO Asia-Pacific bantamweight belt last year by stopping Big Yoo of Korea in five rounds in Bohol. This will be AJ?s first title defense and he is raring to prove his detractors wrong.
Miyeyusho (29W-8L-2D, 17 KO?s) is the reigning Tanzanian superflyweight champion. Their common opponent is Mbwana Matumla. Banal knocked out Matumla in two rounds at the Cebu Coliseum in 2009 while Miyeyusho lost to Matumla by unanimous decision in an IBC title fight.
Undefeated Canadian Steve Clagett (11W-0L-1D, 6 KO?s) will fight current R.P. number one lightweight Romeo Jakosalem (11W-4L-1D, 5 KO?s). Claggett is a prot?g?e of Canadian-Filipino promoter Eric de Guzman. He is the reigning WBC Youth intercontinental lightweight titlist.
OPBF flyweight champion Rocky Fuentes (29W-6L-2D, 18 KO?s) fights Indonesian superflyweight champ Jemmy Gobel (15W-7L-5D, 12 KO?s) in a non-title bout. Fuentes gained his some semblance of notoriety when he targeted Nonito Donaire?s midsection during a brutal sparring session with four years ago. But Fuentes said that Donaire?s win against Fernando Montiel inspired him to perform better.
His stablemates Melindo and Banal were also impressed with Donaire and he is a big inspiration for them. Melindo in true methodical fashion broke down and analysed Donaire?s set up for the finishing left hook.
Marjohn Yap (14W-5L, 7 KO?s) will face Japanese Kenichi Yamaguchi (16W-1L-2D, 4 KO?s) in an eight round non-title superbantamweight fight. ALA Gym?s prized rookies Albert Pagara, Boyce Sultan and Michael Romarate will fight Pable Rey Seneres, Francis Solis and Camilo Rey Seneres respectively. Romarate will officially carry the name Roma Rate when he fights.
Melindo , Fuentes, Pagara and Rate were among the boxers given citations during the 29th SAC-SMB Cebu Sports Awards.
The Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) expressed interest in the ALA Gym?s conditioning Pio Solon. ALA Promotions Pres. Michael Aldeguer said that he will continue his commitment with the ALA gym but they will make him available to help the national team.
PINOY PRIDE 4 will be held on March 19, 2011 at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino in Lahug.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rene Bonsubre, Jr..
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