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

Melindo KO's Jin-Man Jeon in RD 2

CEBU CITY – One of ALA's brightest prospects gave the visiting Korean a bitter boxing lesson after Melindo outpowered and outclassed Jin-Man Jeon knocking out the Korean who unwisely came toe to toe with the master boxer at the Waterfront Hotel & Casino here tonight. A powerful left uppercut by Melindo at 43 seconds of the second round went home to the face of Jeon that sent the Korean lumped to the canvas unable to beat th count. The highly rated Melindo is now looking for an opportunity to challenge any of the lower-weight world champions.

*source: www.philboxing.com

Melindo blasts foe to stamp class

MANILA, Philippines - Displaying new-found power in his move up in weight, WBC Youth Intercontinental flyweight champion Milan Melindo delivered a strong message that he’s ready for the big time by stopping Thailand’s Komrit Twins Gym at 1:23 of the fourth round to retain his title before a crowd of wildly cheering Filipino overseas workers at the Lodge, Chi Garden, in Dubai last Friday night.

Melindo, 22, isn’t really known as a devastating knockout artist but belied the reputation as he floored Komrit twice in the first round before finishing him off with a brutal uppercut to the body. Komrit, who was earlier docked a point for an accidental headbutt, dropped to his knees, grimacing in pain. Referee Bruce McTavish didn’t bother to count.

The win raised Melindo’s record to 21-0, with six KOs. Komrit was a late replacement for Colombia’s Devis Perez who couldn’t fly out of Bogota because of the travel
logjam caused by the volcanic ash that wreaked havoc on flight schedules all over Europe. The Thai flew in the day before the fight with Melindo unaware of his opponent’s style.

ALA Boxing Gym owner Tony Aldeguer said yesterday he’s not rushing a world title shot for Melindo who has outgrown the minimumweight class and is now a natural lightflyweight.

“I think he’s settling in as a lightflyweight but he fought as a flyweight against Anthony Villareal in his previous fight and against Komrit,” said Aldeguer. “He weighed only 110 pounds for Villareal. We had no intention of moving Milan all the way to flyweight but he wanted to fight for a title and the WBC Youth Intercontinental belt was the only one available. Milan didn’t mind it. But his ideal weight now is 108.”

Aldeguer said he’s learned from the failures of Rey (Boom Boom) Bautista and A. J. Banal not to force the issue.

“If you look at how champions like Juan Manuel Lopez and Wilfredo Vazquez, Jr. became champions, you’ll notice they didn’t make their move until they were close to or in their mid-20s,” continued Aldeguer. “It may be easy to win a title but keeping it for a long time is the real challenge. We don’t want to lose a title in the first or second defense. Donnie Nietes is now 27 and he’s enjoying a long reign as WBO minimumweight champion. That’s how we plan to guide Milan’s career.”

Aldeguer described Melindo as meticulous and methodical in mowing down Komrit.

“I received texts from my son Michael during the fight in Dubai,” said Aldeguer from his Cebu home. “The show started at 8:30 p.m. which was past midnight, Philippine time, and I waited until 3 a.m. to find out how our boys did. Komrit was no problem for Milan. I think Milan was the most impressive winner that night.”

Aldeguer confirmed that Melindo was close to fighting IBF lightflyweight champion Carlos Tamara of Colombia in a card being staged by Solar Sports here in June. But Tamara chose to take on a less dangerous challenger, Argentina’s Luis Lazarate, for more money.

“Although we’re not pushing for a title fight, we’ll consider whatever opportunity comes Milan’s way,” said Aldeguer. “For instance, we welcomed the chance to fight Tamara. But we’re not going out of our way to look for a title shot. Milan is mature for his age and we realize experience is important.”

In other fights, Bautista halted Thailand’s Saichon Sotornpitak at 1:59 of the sixth round in a featherweight bout and superbantamweight Larry (Bon Jovi) Canillas disposed of Tanzania’s Fred Sayuni, also in the sixth.

Bautista was mobbed by Filipino fans in Dubai wherever he went. Easily the most popular of the three Filipinos in the card, Bautista didn’t disappoint his fans as he brought down Saichon in devastating fashion. Bautista sent Saichon reeling across the ring with a combination in the first round but had to survive a rally and a cut over his left eye before finally, blasting the Thai into submission. Referee Ver Abainza stepped in after another combination, capped by a vicious right hook to the jaw, deposited Saichon to the canvas.

Bautista improved his record to 28-2, with 21 KOs, and will now embark on a US campaign that he hopes will lead to another crack at a world crown. When he was 21, Bautista was knocked out in the first round by WBO superbantamweight titlist Daniel Ponce de Leon in his first attempt to win a world title in 2007.

Canillas decked Sayuni twice in the sixth round, signaling a halt to the carnage. The Tanzanian left the ring with a badly swollen eye. A hard-hitting slugger, Canillas has now scored nine stoppages in 10 wins.

Aldeguer’s son Michael reported from ringside that it took Canillas a few rounds before finding his rhythm. Canillas was tight in the early going but once he got untracked, Sayuni had no chance.

“Milan was too good, he’s in a different class,” said Michael. “Boom Boom was entertaining, as usual. We just have to know at what level he is. Boom Boom is a promotional gem. Filipinos mobbed him everywhere. His popularity is incredible.”

Bautista, a crowd pleaser, came out of his corner smoking in the first round and for a while, it appeared that Saichon wouldn’t last long. But the Thai roared back, finding holes in Bautista’s porous defense. Bautista, however, regrouped and his power eventually broke Saichon’s will. It was Bautista’s second bout since undergoing hand surgery last year.

The three Filipino fighters are booked to arrive back in Manila tonight.
*source: philstar.com

Let's support our Filipino boxers who will be fighting in Dubai

Go Pilipinas! Hopefully all our Pinoy pugs will win.

MELINDO OUTLASTS VILLAREAL IN A THRILLER

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