FORMER world champion Milan Melindo will be working to revive his career with the help of the newest player in Philippine boxing, Prime Stags Promotions.

After fighting under the ALA Promotions banner for most of his career, Melindo finally has a partner that will help him achieve his goal of becoming a world champion again.

“I’m thankful for the big opportunity to be able to fight in Cebu again. I’m thankful to Prime Stags Sports because I was looking for a promoter. I talked with them and I liked their vision. It’s very nice. I’ll do everything I can in training,” said Melindo yesterday in a press conference at the Vice Mayor’s office.

Melindo will headline Prime Stags Promotions’ Sinulog boxing show on Jan. 11, 2023 at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC).

“We see Milan still has the capacity to be world class. He has the technique and the ability. We will support his conditioning and nutrition. We, as promoters, will always look out for our boxers,” said Prime Stags Sports vice president Pocholo Padilla.

After suffering a sixth round technical knockout loss to Junto Nakatani in 2019, Melindo took a three-year hiatus. He returned to action on April 2 and stopped Crison Omayao in six rounds.

The 34-year-old Melindo hopes to become a two-division world champion and campaign at super flyweight. He hopes to get a rematch with Mexican superstar Juan Francisco Estrada, who beat him by unanimous decision in Macau in 2013.

“He has a huge chance of becoming a world class fighter again. He still has it. We’ll just slow it down because he just made his comeback,” said Melindo’s trainer Fernando Ocon.

Also seeing action in the same card is newly crowned World Boxing Foundation (WBF) Australasian flyweight titleholder Kit Ceron Garces. The Sinulog boxing event features a total of 12 pro fights and 10 amateur bouts.

“We are very happy and privileged that we have a fight card in January and it will be here in Cebu during the Sinulog festivities,” said Cebu City Vice Mayor Raymond Garcia.

“The Cebu government is supportive with sports through the CCSC (Cebu City Sports Commission). One of the segments that Commissioner (Lorenzo) Chao Sy is boxing. We hope that there will be more boxing held in Cebu City. We support it 110 percent.” (EKA)