by Ronnie Nathanielsz
Undefeated WBO Intercontinental super bantamweight champion Genesis “Azukal” Servania and former WBO/WBA flyweight title challenger Milan Melindo are travelling to Tijuana, Mexico to get some additional and quality sparring in a determined effort by ALA Promotions to hone their skills in the continuing quest for world titles.
Trainer Edito “Ala” Villamor told BoxingScene.com/Manila Standard that Servania and Melindo spent one week of training at the Wild Card Gym of celebrated trainer Freddie Roach beginning January 10 after starting off their US trip with three days of training in San Diego, California.
Villamor said that while in Los Angeles they went jogging every morning where “Fighter of the Decade” Manny Pacquiao trained at Griffith Park.
He said that after one week they return to San Diego before travelling across the border to the hometown of Erik “El Terrible” Morales where they hope to get some sparring in his gym even as they would check out all the other gyms so the boxers will get additional exposure during a one week sojourn.
Villamor disclosed they would then return to San Diego for another week before returning home.
Villamor said Servania and Melindo sparred at the spanking, new gym of Roach who was busy training Chinese two-time Olympic gold medalist Zou Shiming who has started off winning his first two pro fights, both in Macau.vised their workouts.
It’s the same gym where Pacquiao, Ruslan Provodnikov, Zou Shiming and other top fighters train.
Villamor said Servania and Melindo “are doing great in training and sparring at the Wild Card” which was also confirmed by Roach’s Filipino assistant trainer Marvin Somodio who told the Standard the Ala boxers looked good.
He said Servania sparred with an Armenian professional boxer and an Australian amateur who had more than 60 fights while Melindo sparred with talented Filipino bantamweight Marvin Mabait, the reigning WBO Intercontinental 118 pound champion.
Villamor praised Roach for “always being a good person to us since 2006.”