Agrabio Meets Melgarejo on April 8

By Rey Danseco
 
THE Philippine super featherweight title will remain on either the island of Luzon or Manila when newly crowned champion Dodie Boy Agrabio opted to put his title on line for the first time against Laguna’s Aaron Melgarejo.

The scheduled 12-round collision will takes place on April 8 in Dalaguete, Cebu under Rex “Wakee” Salud’s boxing show.

Agrabio is a registed boxer under the wing of Manny Pacquiao’s first manager, Polding Correa of Malabon City, Manila. Melgarejo. He is part of the stable of former Philippine super bantamweight champ Dino Olivetti, who is his uncle and a native of Binan in Laguna province near Manila.

The title bout will be a rematch of their initial collision in May 2005 in Munoz, Nueva Ecija where the bout was ruled a draw in the second round.

Agrabio captured the vacant Philippine 130-lb crown in expense of Salud’s fighter JR Sollano with unanimous decision win last February 3, also in Dalaguete.

The title was previously owned by Jimrex Jaca until Salud refused to stage his title defense when the 23-year old champion left Cebu for Texas without his manager’s permission last year.

Jaca, along with trainer Jun Bubuli, left for Texas and fought Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez for the World Boxing Organization interim featherweight title last November in the Dodge Arena. Marquez stopped Jaca in the 9th round to retain the title.