PREPARATION and strategy are always the keys to a victory in any fight.
ALA Gym head coach Edito Villamor has already devised a game plan, while Milan Melindo has been working extra hard in the gym ahead of his world title fight two months from now.
“His training is going great. We have been doing physical and endurance training for almost a month. We have started spar play in preparation for the start of sparring next week,” Villamor told Sun.Star Cebu yesterday.
Melindo is challenging Juan Francisco Estrada for his World Boxing Organization and World Boxing Association flyweight belts on July 27 at the Cotai Arena of the Venetian Casino and Resort in Macau.
Villamor and Melindo both believe that they have Estrada all figured out. They feel that Estrada’s weakness is his body, which was also his main arsenal when he beat Brian Viloria.
“He has improved his power but we are preparing to go the distance. We plan to outbox the whole 12-round fight but if there is an opportunity, we will go all out. We are also improving the toughness of Milan’s body,” said Villamor. “Our plan is to use blocking defense then counter punch to the body but it depends on the actual fight and what will be the opening. Or maybe we could fight from the distance so that Estrada won’t be able to use his body punches.”
The 23-year-old Estrada used some vicious blows to the body to weaken Viloria and walk away with a tight split decision to win the twin titles last month, also in Macau. Melindo was also victorious on that same night, when he stopped Indonesian Tommy Seran in four rounds.
The 24-year-old Melindo is unbeaten with an impressive 29-0 slate with 12 knockouts, while Estrada is 24-2 with 18 knockouts.
Unbeaten Genesis Servania (20-0, 8 KOs) is also slated in the same blockbuster Macau card against Japanese former world title challenger Konosuke Tomiyama (23-5-1, 8 KOs).
Servania, who will make his international debut, is off a dominant third round knockout over Indonesian prospect Isack Junior last Saturday night at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino in Cebu City.