Melindo Decisions Martinez, Domingo Stops Navarro
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Two of the most promising fighters in the famed ALA Gym of boxing patron Tony Aldeguer lived up to his expectations with impressive victories in the “Battle by the Bay: First Strike” at the Cuneta Astrodome late Saturday.
Fight fans who braved the stormy weather were not disappointed as the ALA fighters Milan Melindo and Michael Domingo showed their skill, punching power and courage against tough and worthy opponents.
Undefeated 21 year old minimum weight Melindo who is rated No.1 by the WBO, No. 3 by the WBA and the IBF and No. 5 by the WBC overcame Mexico’s rugged KO artist Guadalupe Martinez in an action-packed battle to score a unanimous ten round decision to keep his unbeaten record at 19-0 with 5 knockouts. Martinez whose original record was published as 7-1-1 with 7 KO’s reportedly paraded a record of 19-2 with 7 knockouts.
Whatever his real record Martinez proved to be a typical Mexican ring warrior especially after Melindo opened up a cut above his forehead in the fifth round. Martinez refused to back off even with blood streaming down his face and went after Melindo who used his classic counter-punching skills to stymie Martinez with precise punches to the body and head.
All three judges scored the fight for Melindo with two judges turning in cards of 97-93 and the third 96-94.
Domingo whom trainer Freddie Roach once regarded as a certain Filipino world champion and whose progress was setback after he was found to have hepatitis “B” prior to a major fight in the US has since been cleared and has picked off from where he left off.
Domingo who won the vacant WBO Oriental bantamweight title with a smashing 2nd round knockout over rugged Indonesian Rivo Rengkung on July 26, 2008 and followed it up with a 9th round TKO of former world champion Ratanachai Sor Vorapin on September 4, 2008 scored a smashing 8th round TKO over former US Olympian Jose Navarro.
The 28 year old American southpaw who fought for the world super flyweight title four times and lost was no match for the crafty Domingo who nailed him with cracking rights all night long and opened up cuts on the left side of Navarro’s face while a huge welt developed over his left eye.
The ring physician took a look at Navarro in-between the seventh and eighth rounds and ruled that Navarro was in no condition to continue.
With the win Domingo who is ranked No. 6 by the IBF improved to 39-14-2 with 17 knockouts while Navarro dropped to 26-5 with 12 knockouts.
Navarro was coming off a split decision loss to Cristian Mijares last February 16, 2008 and appeared a little rusty because of the long layoff. However, it tok nothing away from the quality of Domingo’s performance.
Tony Aldeguer told BoixngScene.com, insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports that they “knew Navarro’s style very well because Z Gorres had sparred with him at the Wild Card Gym of Freddie Roach in Los Angeles several times in the past and we were well prepared” even though he too admitted that Navarro did look a little rusty.
Aldeguer’s son Michael who has taken over as president of ALA Promotions told us on his return to Cebu that the Melindo fight was “one of the best fights I have ever seen. Martinez really came to fight and Melindo admitted he punched really hard” but added that the Filipino’s “fighting heart and determination to win prevailed.”