By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Michael Domingo, fresh from an impressive second round knockout of menacing-looking Colombian Luis Melendez in a bantamweight battle last Sunday is ready to step up and face WBO bantamweight interim champion Eric “Hands of Steel” Morel (42-2, 21 KO’s) after Morel’s opponent WBC super flyweight champion Jorge Arce suffered a three-inch deep cut under his right eyebrow and won’t be able to keep his June 26 fight date at the Alamadome in San Antonio, Texas..
Michael Aldeguer, president of ALA Promotions told us he would contact matchmaker Sampson Lewkowicz and tell him Domingo is ready and willing to fill in for Arce in the Top Rank fight card. Aldeguer is also likely to contact Top Rank matchmaker Bruce Trampler and offer Domingo as a replacement for Arce.
Nicknamed “Bruce Lee,” Domingo (40-14-2, 18 KO’s) is one of the most underrated fighters in the Philippines and he proved his worth when he crippled Melendez with a brutal shot to the liver and watched as the Colombian went down grimacing in pain and was counted out by American referee Gene del Bianco at 1:39 of the second round.
WBO bantamweight champion Fernando Montiel who recently added the WBC belt with a stunning 4th round TKO victory over Japan’s Hozumi Hasegawa had declined to face Domingo when he was suggested as a substitute for Z “The Dream” Gorres who was scheduled to face Montiel in a title fight last February 13 at the Las Vegas Hilton.
Gorres underwent brain surgery last November after beating Melendez handily at the Mandalay Bay House of Blues but the classy southpaw suffered a knockdown in the dying seconds of the tenth round and collapsed in his corner after the decision was announced, was rushed to the University Medical Center and underwent brain surgery that ended his career. .
Montiel turned down the offer of Domingo and instead fought Ciso “Kid Terrible” Morales and demolished him in a mismatch in the very first round.
