Wilfredo ‘Bimbito’ Mendez hits the road for the first time as a reigning strawweight titlist.
The diminutive southpaw from Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico is set for the second defense of his current title reign, as he faces Colombia’s Gabriel Mendoza in a scheduled 12-round main event Saturday evening at El Panama Hotel in Panama City, Panama. Both boxers made weight for the contest, with Mendez (15-1, 5KOs) coming in 104¾ pounds, while Mendoza weighed right at the 105-pound limit.
Mendez settled for a seven-round technical split decision win over Axel Aragon in his most recent start last October in his Trujillo Alto hometown. Mendez had to climb off the deck in order to prevail, surging in rounds five and six only for a clash of heads—which occurred in round six—leaving Aragon unable to continue at the start of round seven, thus forcing the bout to go to the scorecards.
