FOLLOWING Milan Melindo’s controversial defeat in Mexico last weekend, ALA Promotions is working on a rematch to make things right.
“It was just too bad because if you watch the replay the cut was caused by a punch but the referee failed to call it. We’ll be meeting with Zanfer to discuss the rematch,” ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer told Sun.Star Cebu.
Melindo dropped a sixth-round technical decision loss at the hands of International Boxing Federation (IBF) light flyweight titleholder Javier Mendoza at the Campo Nuevo Ensenada in Baja California last Sunday (RP time).
Melindo and Mendoza apparently banged heads before the 27-year-old Filipino threw a right that landed flush on the champion’s right eye.
Mendoza was cut above the right eye, and referee Gerard White decided to have it checked. The ring physician checked it and advised that the fight be stopped because Mendoza was unfit to continue.
But instead of a technical knockout win for Melindo, the fight went to the scorecards, giving Mendoza the technical decision win.
“No rematch clause but I was there to see it and I was just shocked it was stopped when Milan’s cut was bigger. Mendoza kept on complaining about everything.
Watch the video, it was caused by a punch but before it they banged heads but Mendoza reacted after the punch. Plus the two deductions which Mendoza reacted too much,” said Aldeguer.
Premature end
ALA Promotions plans to hold the rematch in October in either the Philippines or in the US, where they have already acquired a promoter’s license to hold events in California.
Though behind on the scorecards, Aldeguer felt that his ward was starting to get his groove until the fight was stopped prematurely.
“If the referee called it a punch that caused the cut, which it was in the video, then Milan could have won by TKO. The fight was close and even had Mendoza ahead a bit but the momentum shifted in round six as Milan was gaining ground until the referee stopped it,” said Aldeguer.
This was Melindo’s second shot at a world title. In his first attempt, he badly lost to Juan Francisco Estrada by a unanimous decision back in 2013.