Melligen Faces Rosales on Donaire/Concepcion Undercard
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Mark Jason Melligen faces a tough challenge when he takes on 26 year old, 5’11” Mexican Michael “El Bravo” Rosales at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on August 15.
The fight will be on the undercard of the WBA super flyweight interim title between IBF flyweight champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire and Panama’s Rafael “El Torito” Concepcion who has a stunning 10th round KO victory over world-rated AJ “Bazooka” Banal in a WBA interim title fight as a highpoint of his career.
ALA Gym patron Tony Aldeguer conceded that Melligen was moving up a notch in taking on Rosales but that’s the way he wants to test his fighters so he could gauge their true potential. Aldeguer said “its gonna be tough because Rosales is elongated” standing four inches taller than the 5’7” Melligen who has a record of 15-1 with 11 knockouts compared to Rosales who boasts of a record of 24-3 with 21 knockouts.
Rosales’ KO record clearly demonstrates his punching power while his three defeats have been at the hands of top class, undefeated opponents.
He lost by a 7th round TKO to Mike Alvarado (20-0, 13 KO’s) on May 9, 2008 in what was described as Alvarado’s toughest fight so far. Reports from ringside said it was a hard fought battle from the opening bell with Alvarado and Rosales landing bombs throughout while the stoppage by referee Rocky Burke at 1:28 of round seven was regarded as premature.
In a North American Boxing Federation welterweight title fight on April 11 this year, Rosales who was dropped in round one eventually lost by a 10th round TKO to undefeated Saul Alvarez (25-0-1, 18 KO’s).
In his last fight on June 20 this year Rosales won the FECOMBOX light middleweight title with a majority decision over previously undefeated Luis Fernandez Uribe (21-0, 18 KO’s) to prove his worth as a worthy if not dangerous challenger to the 23 year old Melligen.
The hard-hitting Melligen who impressed Floyd Mayweather Jr while training at the Mayweather gym in Las Vegas before signing a four-year deal with astute Top Rank promoter Bob Arum and moving his training to the Top Rank Gym also in Las Vegas, has had a string of three wins since he made his US debut with a 5th round TKO over Gerardo Cesar Prieto on March 7, 2009.
He then took on Ramon Montano who was a onetime sparring partner of Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao and a fighter who had dropped a split decision to then WBC lightweight champion David Diaz in a ten round bout. Melligen fought well against a difficult opponent to win a unanimous eight round decision.
Last June 20,Melligen put on his best performance to date when he scored a rousing 2nd round TKO over Mexican Fabian Luque after dropping Luque twice, once in the first and one more time in the second before launching a two-fisted attack that forced the referee to call a halt. Rosales also won over Uribe on the same card in Baja California , Mexico.
Boxing writer Michael J. Campbell commenting on Melligen’s victory on the widely-read boxingscene.com, said “hot Filipino Top Rank prospect “Mighty” Mark Melligen toyed with his opponent, Fabian Luque, who appeared quite competent but could not muster much answer for the southpaw welterweight.”
He said Melligen “appeared mature and composed in the dismantling. With a thick torso and a hard-hitting style, Bob Arum could have yet another rising star from the island nation of the Philippines .”
