PINOY PRIDE XVI SIDELIGHTS
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 23 Sep 2012
CEBU CITY - Most of the boxing fans watching Pinoy Pride XVI at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino wanted a knockout victory by Milan ?El Metodico? Melindo. At the onset of the WBO international flyweight championship, it seemed that the fight was heading to an early finish as Melindo caught Jean Piero Perez with a combination that almost let the Venezuelan kissed the canvas. Perez was able to hold Melindo?s legs and prevented a possible early round knockdown. Fans started to believe that it would be a knockout victory for the ALA boxing luminary.
But Perez began to build confidence and stamina in the succeeding rounds, defending well Melindo?s punches. El Metodico connected some punches to the head of Perez, but the former WBO interim flyweight champion had his gloves covering against blows to his midsection where he was obviously weak.
The foreign challenger rallied in the middle rounds though to reduce the gap built up by the ALA protagonist in the earlier rounds. Perez had thrown the greater number of punches and jabs. Thus the judges scored a majority decision with Salven Lagumbay scoring it a draw, 114-114 and Tony Pesons calling it a close 115-113 for Melindo. Only Edward Ligas came up with a more favorable score for Milan, 116-112.
True to the title ?Venezuelan Invasion,? Perez invaded Cebu with impressive credentials with 19 wins, 14 of these by KO, and only 4 losses before the fight. Melindo was more favored because of his unblemished 27-0-0 record before the fight. Perez indeed put up a good tussle and Melindo stood on his ground as a potential world titlist. He is now the number one WBO world flyweight contender.
ALA boss Antonio L. Aldeguer wanted Melindo to prove his mettle and took in a dangerous opponent in the Venezuelan. Because next in line will be a world title fight for ?El Metodico.? The present WBO flyweight champion is Filipino-American Brian Villoria.
In the supporting event which the crowd enjoyed better, Rocky Fuentes convincingly carved out a unanimous verdict against Myung Ho Lee of Japan. Although Fuentes delivered several power punches to the head of Lee, but the Japanese just absorbed all those blows, giving Fuentes the advantage in scoring. The Japanese, with a Korean sounding name, brought a large number of entourage members cheering him at the sidelines. It prompted the Cebuano fans to chant ?Rocky! Rocky! Rocky!? reminiscent of the hit movie of Sylvester Stallone.
In the supporting eight-rounder, 42-year-old Pramuansak Posuwan of Thailand earned the jeers of the crowd as he looked like an ageing warrior battling a 23-year old Arthur Villanueva. Posuwan survived two knockdowns but his advanced experience in the ring proved to be inadequate for the fresher and speedier legs and hands of Villanueva.
AJ ?Bazooka? Banal, Rey ?Boom Boom? Bautista, and Jason ?El Ni?o? Pagara appeared during the break atop the ring to promote Pinoy Pride XVII, the first boxing event at the very modern SM Mall of Asia Arena. Tickets were on sale already and discounted plane tickets were made available to early boxing patrons.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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