MELINDO IS MANDATORY CHALLENGER TO THE WINNER OF VILORIA-MARQUEZ UNIFICATION FIGHT
By Dong Secuya
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 26 Oct 2012
HOLLYWOOD, FL ? WBO No. 1 ranked flyweight and undefeated contender Milan 'El Metodico' Melindo of the Philippines has inched closer to a world title fight and a potential clash with reigning Filipino-American WBO flyweight champion Brian Viloria when the WBO, during its final day of deliberations at its 25th Annual Convention held at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, designated Melindo as the mandatory challenger to WBO champion Brian Viloria.
Viloria, however, will have a unification title fight with WBA flyweight champion Hernan 'Tyson' Marquez of Mexico on Nov. 17 at the Los Angeles Sports Arena in Los Angeles, therefore, Melindo will become the mandatory challenger to the winner of that fight on the WBO side of the title.
The WBO has mandated a 30-day negotiation period between the promoter of Melindo and the promoter of either Viloria or Marquez after the Nov. 17 battle. In the event that Melindo beats Marquez, this will mark the first time after several decades that a Filipino will fight another Filipino for a world title.
Viloria, however, previously showed some reservations of fighting Melindo, saying that a fight with Melindo would not be very marketable, in addition to his hesitation of fighting another Filipino. With Melindo's mandatory status however, Viloria will be forced to fight him or vacate the title.
?If he (Viloria) really doesn't want to fight Melindo, granted he wins against Marquez,? ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer told Philboxing after the WBO announcement, ?then he may drop the WBO title and retain the WBA title. In that case, Milan will fight for the vacant WBO title against the next highest ranked opponent.
The next two highest ranked fighters on the WBO list however are both Filipinos. No. 2 is Froilan Saludar and No. 3 is Melindo's stablemate at the ALA Gym Rocky Fuentes. Ranked No. 4 is Mexico's Omar Soto, the North American Boxing (NABO) champion.
?I've heard that Saludar will fight for the IBF. Of course Rocky Fuentes is with us, so we may end up fighting with No. 4 ranked Omar Soto,? Aldeguer opined.
Saludar is the highest rated flyweight contender to IBF champion Moruti Mthalane of South Africa.
As of the moment however, the only thing that is definite is Melindo's mandatory status and everything will depend on the result of the Viloria-Marquez unification fight.
Melindo (28-0-0, 11KO) fought and won a close fight against Jean Piero Perez of Venezuela only last month at the Waterfront Hotel Hotel in Cebu City.
Photo: Melindo (R) tags Jean Piero Perez of Velenzuela with a left during their fight in Cebu on Sep. 22, 2012.
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