Z Gorres, Mark Melligen are Primed and Ready To Go

Nov 9, 2009 • 12:00 AM ET

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

Two of the Philippines most promising young fighters Z “The Dream” Gorres (30-2-2, 17 KO’s) and Mark Jason Melligen (16-1, 12 KO’s) are primed and ready for their tough assignments against rugged and worthy opponents at the Mandalay Bay House of Blues in Las Vegas on Friday.

Gorres who was deprived of winning the WBO super flyweight title when he out-boxed Mexican Fernando Montiel before a hometown crowd in Cebu but lost a controversial split decision has moved up to bantamweight and takes on Colombia’s relentless puncher Luis Melendez who lost to Montiel by a 12th round knockout but not before decking the champion earlier in the fight.

Melligen, on the other hand clashes with hard-hitting, 5’11” Mexican FECOMBOX light middleweight champion Michel Rosales.

ALA Gym’s respected patron Tony Aldeguer said that Gorres who had been training at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym with Roach putting in some time with him but with Filipino trainer Edito “Ala” Villamor carrying the brunt of the training, was in great shape and ready for the challenge likely to be posed by Melendez, a tough customer.

Villamor himself told us that Gorres went up against a variety of sparring partners including a Russian, an Armenian and a Mexican fighter and looked “impressive” and is ready to give a good account of himself against Melendez who has an impressive record of 26—3-1 with 21 knockouts and is coming off a 3rd round TKO win over Rafael Salgado last September.11.

Former Cebu resident Tony Martin who together with Edmund Villamor have worked with Melligen at the Mayweather gym in Las Vegas realize that he faces the stiffest test of his career following a four-fight winning streak in the US.

Martin revealed that they have been pushing the southpaw to “the v ery limit of his endurance and his response has been total” and indicated that Melligen’s “will to win has increased ten-fold.”

But what has impressed Martin the most is Melligen’s punching power. He said “the devastating power he has in both hands. Trust me Ronnie when i say--------get hit by one, you will go down-----and stay down.”