‘Methodical beating’

Monday, January 30, 2012

MILAN Melindo taught Juan Esquer a lesson or two in the art of the sweet science and toyed with him the whole night, forcing the Mexican’s corner to wave the white flag late Saturday night at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino.

“Milan could have knocked him out earlier if he moved,” said ALA Boxing Gym founder Antonio L. Aldeguer last Saturday night after the main event of Pinoy Pride 11. “He was toying with someone who has fought six world champions.”

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Melindo’s win culminated a 5-0 sweep of Pinoy fighters in the card dubbed Philippines vs. The World.

Melindo (26-0, 10 KOs), who is rated No. 1 in the World Boxing Organization (WBO), used his cerebral approach to boxing and effectively counter-punched Esquer (27-10-2, 21 KOs) the whole night.

The 23-year-old Cagayan de Oro native forced Esquer to be in a precarious position after the latter had no answer to Melindo’s precise punch combination.

In the fifth round, Esquer, whose face started to swell, was tagged with a punch that apparently went low. The former world title contender went down and was wincing in pain and looked like he couldn’t continue. Referee Danrex Tapdasan gave him five minutes to recover, and after the brief rest, Esquer stood up and continued to absorb punishment from Melindo.

Ploy

Melindo and his handler, Antonio, thought that the reaction of the Mexican to the unintentional low blow was too much and that it might have been his ploy to get a disqualification win from the referee.

“He was inviting a disqualification. You get hit but what he did was too much. He was acting already,” said Antonio.

“He knew that I would beat him and he was hurt. He knew that I was going to knock him out,” said Melindo.

In the seventh round, the 25-year-old Esquer landed a low blow of his own on Melindo and as Tapdasan was separating both fighters, Esquer flopped and once again looked as if he was in excruciating pain from another low blow, despite the fact that he was just grazed with a punch on the chest.

With Esquer down on the mat, his promoter and trainer Edmundo Gaytan seemed to have seen enough and went up to the ring and threw in the towel to save his boxer from more punishment.

Just like that, Melindo got his 10th KO win in 2:16 of the seventh.

ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer said he is planning to showcase Melindo in a Top Rank show in America for his next fight.

“We are going to bring him to the States. Then fight for a world title. We have already discussed about a (WBO flyweight champion Brian) Viloria fight if they accept then we are open to it,” he said. “His next fight would be against a fighter in the top 10 to earn the mandatory fight.”

Meanwhile, it only took heavy-handed Lorenzo Villanueva (22-0, 21 KOs) a single round to end the night of Mexican Diego “Tyson” Ledesma (18-5-2, 12 KOs) in the main supporting bout.

The 26-year-old Villanueva lived up to his billing as one of the hardest-hitting Filipino boxers as he sent Villanueva to dreamland in the 1:17 mark of the first from a vicious left hook that hit the button. Villanueva earlier sent the 25-year-old Los Mochis, Sinaloa native with a stunning left straight to the jaw.

Although experience wasn’t on his side, Mhar Jhun Macahilig (14-1, 8 KOs) banked on his youth and his power as he stopped veteran one-time world title contender Kaichon Sor Vorapin (25-11, 9 KOs).

Macahilig connected with a picture-perfect left uppercut to the midsection on the 2:01 mark of the second round that had Sor Vorapin gasping for air.

Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation mini-flyweight king Merlito Sabillo (17-0, 7 KOs) edged out tough Indonesian Sofyan Effendi (11-12-2, 9 KOs) by unanimous decision in a barn-burner. All three judges gave Sabillo the bout, 78-74.

Joseph Von Minoza (12-2, 4 KOs) scored a one-sided unanimous decision over iron-chinned South Korean Yoo Shin Kim (8-3, 6 KOs), earning a score of 79-73 from three judges.