By Ronnie Nathanielsz
The four fighters headlining the exciting “Bakbakan sa Sinulog” fight card at the plush Ballroom of the Waterfront Hotel on Thursday have all promised knockout victories further heightening interest in the first major pro boxing venture of Smart Sports in partnership with the famed ALA Gym and TV 5.
WBC Youth Intercontinental flyweight champion Anthony “Baby Assassin” Villareal told a news conference on Tuesday that he didn’t come to the Philippines to lose his title and said that no matter how good Melindo is, he is better.
Villareal and his manager both bordered on being cocky citing a series of amateur titles to back up the 22 year old American’s credentials claiming he was ”too fast and too strong” for Melindo who is moving up two divisions from minimum weight where he is ranked No. 1 by the WBO, No. 3 by the IBF and WBA and No. 5 by the WBC to fight as a flyweight although its at a catchweight of 110 pounds.
Villareal said he is the type of fighter who hits but can’t be hit and promised that Melindo will pay a heavy price the moment he makes a mistake, promising to win by knockout.
With a record of 9-2 with 5 knockouts Villareal hopes to break into the world rankings by scoring a big win over Melindo.
But Melindo who went back to the famed ALA Gym after the press conference and worked out said he had “no problems and I am in top condition.”
He conceded that Villareal is good and came here to win “but all of you know we won’t lose.” Melindo said he sparred almost 200 rounds over three months of training as he waited for a fight.
Melindo said his dream is to become a world champion promising “to win on Thursday. No problem. I’ll knock him out.”
Although he said he had seen only snatches of Melindo’s fight videos, Villareal said they had picked sparring partners to approximate the Filipino's style in preparation for what he confidently predicted would be a really good fight. In the end Villareal who had 89 wins as an amateur said he realizes that Melindo is a “technical boxer with a little speed” but stressed that he would have “too much movement and speed for him.”
At the same time Villareal indicated he has been “waiting for a fight like this all my life, I have been boxing since I was 9 years old, I am almost 23 now and even though I only have 11 fights I know I am ready, I've been ready! “
The talented, 22 year old youngster is one year older than Melindo who has an unblemished fight record of 19-0 with 5 knockouts. Villareal revealed that he has been working “extra hard for this fight, running at 6AM, in the gym for 3 hours in the afternoon and working on my strength and speed everyday. I am getting my timing and movement dialed in and come January 14th it will all fall into place.”
Asked about fighting in the Philippines, Villareal he’s had a lot of experience having traveled all over the United States as an amateur boxer and said he had never been to the Philippines and was “really excited about that.”
Villareal also said “the Philippine people know boxing so I am sure that they will appreciate my skills” even as he expressed the hope that “ the judges do as well.”
The American said he honestly believes that his style “ will give him (Melindo) trouble and our game plan will give me many opportunities to hurt this guy. I guarantee you that he has never faced anyone like me, I will make him miss but will always be right in front of him countering, every time he misses he will pay. I just don't see him having anything to beat me with!”
Mexican Cecilio Santos who has battled some of the best and given them a rough time including WBO bantamweight champion Fernando Montiel and IBF world flyweight champion Dimitri Kirilov who escaped with a majority draw, made it clear he’s ready to fight and get back to his winning ways.
Banal who, like Melindo, returned to the ALA Gym to work out expressed confidence that he will join stablemate Melindo in winning big and making sure that esteemed businessman-sportsman Manny Pangilinan will not be disappointed in the first big pro boxing event of Smart Sports.
In another innovation two amateur bouts, one featuring female boxers from the training pool of the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines headed by Pangilinan as chairman and Ricky Vargas as president, will showcase their talents on the big fight card.
