LEARNING ON THE ROAD FOR MELINDO AND SERVANIA
By Rene Bonsubre, Jr.
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 17 Jan 2014
The more astute observers of the local fight game know that some of the best sparring sessions can be seen in the gyms of Cebu City. It?s not just the three world champs who train here but also the up and coming prospects and even some of the more experienced amateurs who can give boxers in their weight rangea good session. There are also the occasional foreign fighters who find the hot weather more to their liking.
But ALA Gym boxers Milan Melindo and Genesis Servania have taken their preparations to a different level. Together with the ALA gym?s chief trainer Edito Villamor, they have embarked on a ?road trip? to find more ? and better ? sparring partners as well as overseas exposure.
Spending quality time at Freddie Roach?s Wild Card Gym was a necessity. This gym became a major boxing hub not just because of a certain Manny Pacquiao but because quality Mexican fighters gravitate to the Los Angeles area. Roach, who is busy working with Chinese star Zou Shiming, has arranged for the duo?s sparring sessions.
Villamor told this writer that Servania, a super bantamweight, got to spar with an Armenian boxer who was an experienced amateur and former world amateur champion and also an experienced Australian amateur. Servania then had a sparring session with WBA world superbantamweight champ Scott Quigg of the U.K. Melindo also got to spar with countryman Marvin Mabait, a former Philippine super flyweight champion now campaigning in the U.S., also sparred with a Mexican fighter.
They will continue their training sessions in Mexico before returning to the Philippines. Villamor believes that their week long stint was maximized and it was time well spent.
Photo (L-R): Servania, Melindo and trainer Edito Villamor in Los Angeles. Photo by Jhay Otamias.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rene Bonsubre, Jr..
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