Milan “Milenyo” Melindo of Cagayan de Oro City won by a close but unanimous ten round decision over Anthony “Baby Assassin” Villareal of the U.S. in front of a sell out crowd at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino in Cebu City Thursday night.
Melindo (20W-0L, 5 KO’s) jumped on Villareal at the opening bell and scored a knockdown with his right hook. Villareal got up and tried to keep a safe distance by moving and jabbing.
The American found his range in the third and landed one-two combos but Melindo closed the distance and landed hard shots at the end of the round. In the 4th the shorter Melindo scored repeatedly with his jab and a right hook staggered Villareal again. Melindo continued to invest in body shots but Villareal was still standing and countered effectively.
In the fifth, Villareal tried to give Melindo different looks by switching to southpaw. Villareal continued to box from a distance but Melindo managed to cut off the ring. But the ALA gym fighter missed a lot of shots as Villareal was very slippery.
In a breathtaking seventh round, the fighters traded wicked hooks as Melindo landed rib rattling punches. Melindo landed the harder blows in the 8th and 9th but in a nail biting tenth round, Villareal hurt Melindo and pressed the initiative until the final bell.
* source: philboxing.com
