Team Tamara: "We'll give Melindo his First Loss."

Cebu City - Former IBF Light Flyweight World Champion Carlos “El Olimpico" Tamara (21W-5L, 15 KO’s) arrived in Cebu today and met the Cebu Sports Press Corps during a press conference held noontime at the Golden Cowrie Restaurant in Lahug. Together with Team Tamara’s Michael Rodriguez and Edgar Sanchez, they talked about his upcoming fight against Milan “Metodico” Melindo (22W-0L, 7 KO’s) of the ALA Gym.

When asked about his title loss to Luis Lazarte in Argentina, Tamara said that he was struggling to make 108 lbs but now he feels a lot stronger that he will be fighting at 112.

He then bared his thoughts about the fight this Saturday, “Nothing is written in stone, but I will leave everything in the ring.” He has sparred one hundred and fifty rounds for this fight, more than the Viloria fight. He considers Omar Narvaez and Brian Viloria as the two best that he has faced in the ring.

Trainer Edgar "Butch" Sanchez however, had more to say when asked if they can surprise the Filipino fans again after beating Brian Viloria in Pasay City last January. “I don’t feel our win was a surprise. Viloria made a mistake in fighting Tamara. Well, it wasn’t really a mistake because he was the mandatory challenger, but Melindo made a bigger mistake by choosing to fight Tamara.”

“We have prepared well for this fight. We sparred with former bantamweight champ Joseph Agbeko” Sanchez added, “We will give Milan Melindo his first defeat.”

Sanchez however has respect for Melindo’s skills. “He is a good boxer puncher, but we prepared well for this fight. We’ve seen his fights on youtube. This will be a great fight. We are not looking past Melindo, I think this will go ten rounds. We don’t see a lot of weaknesses in his style but his inexperience is his weakness. Tamara has fought Giovani Segura, Narvaez, Viloria. If you lack experience, its like being placed in a pool that gets deeper from four feet to ten feet and you don’t know what to do.”

But Tamara also has nice things to say about Cebu and the Philippines. “It reminds me of Colombia. People here are always smiling and very warm. Even when they’re working they’re smiling.”

Sanchez said that after they beat Melindo, they would like to fight here again and be the main event with Melindo as the co-main event.

Melindo and Tamara will meet on Thursday in the final presscon at the Waterfront Hotel. The official weigh-in will be on Friday 11 AM at the SM Cebu City Mall and fight time on Nov 27 starts at 6 PM.

Pinoy Pride II will also feature OPBF flyweight champion Rocky Fuentes, who will be defending his title against Inthanon Sithchamuang of Thailand, former IBF world miniflyweight champ Florante Condes who will fight Kenichi Horikawa of Japan, Former three time OPBF champ Randy “Komong Bato” Suico will fight as a welterweight against reigning Philippine welterweight titlist Arnel Tinampay in an eight round non-title fight and the second pro outing of Dodie Boy Penalosa,Jr, who will face Jomar Torreon.

philboxing.com

MELINDO, FUENTES, SUICO HOLD PUBLIC WORKOUT AT SM CITY CEBU

CEBU CITY -- Milan "EL Metodico" Milendo, OPBF Champion Rocky Fuentes and Randy "Kumong Bato" Suico displayed their boxing skills during Saturday's public workout at the Entertainment Plaza at SM City Cebu. The trio, together with comebacking former world champion Florante Condes, will headline the "Pinoy Pride II" slated this Saturday, Nov. 27 at the Waterfront Hotel & Casino here.

Melindo, who will have the biggest challenge of his career so far by facing former world champion and Brian Viloria conqueror Carlos Tamara of Columbia, looked sharp and appeared ready as he performed his warm up routine and mitts session.

OPBF Flyweight Champion Rocky Fuentes, who defends his title against Inthan Sithchamuan of Thailand, also did the mitts with trainer Joselph Baldago in front of a huge Saturday afternoon crowd at Cebu's premier shopping mall.

Knockout artist and Mandaue city native Randy Suico, who aspires to mix it up with the world's elite at 140 lbs by his recent signing with ALA Promotions, also displayed his punching power during the mitt session to the pleasure of the audience.

The "Pinoy Pride II" Best of the Best will be in full swing as it enters its final week as the visiting opponents from Columbia, Japan and Thailand are expected to arrive shortly.





*source: philboxing.com

Melindo to fight against Former World Champion in Pinoy Pride 2

MANILA, Philippines — Milan “El Metodico” Melindo will clash against former world champion Carlos Tamara of Colombia in "Pinoy Pride 2" in Cebu City this November 27.

Melindo, who has a flawless 22-0 record with 7 knockouts (KO), is currently campaigning at the flyweight division.

For his upcoming bout, the young Cebuano said he is confident of beating Tamara, the former International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior-flyweight champion.

“I have prepared so much for this fight because I am fighting someone with a champion’s heart… I believe this is my time and I have worked so hard to get to where I am now. I am not going to let this chance pass me by and I will do whatever it takes to come up victorious when fight night ends,” he said in Philboxing.com.

Meanwhile, Tamara holds an equally notable 21-5-0 record. He has since won 15 of his fights via KO.

The Colombian boxer made an impression after winning the IBF title against Brian “The Hawaiian Punch” Viloria in January. He routed the Filipino boxer via technical knockout in their bout held in Pasay City. He then lost the title last May to Argentinian Luis Alberto Lazarte.

Melindo and Tamara will battle at the event set up by ALA Promotions and ABS-CBN Sports.

The first Pinoy Pride edition was capped by a fight involving Filipino boxer AJ “Bazooka” Banal last October 30. He won by disqualification over his Nicaraguan opponent Luis Alberto Perez.




*source: abs-cbnnews.com