Z Gorres is Ready For a Ferocious Battle With Melendez
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Z “The Dream” Gorres says he is ready as can be for what is expected to be a ferocious battle against Colombia’s relentless puncher Luis Melendez at the Mandalay Bay House of Blues in Las Vegas on November 13.
Gorres is among four Filipino fighters featured on the Top Rank card on the eve of the Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto “Fire Power” showdown at the MGM Grand Garden Arena also in Las Vegas.
In an overseas telephone conversation with BoxingScene.com, insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports, Gorres said he was two pounds over the bantamweight limit but said “that’s okay. It won’t be a problem making the weight.”
Gorres said he had worked out at the Floyd Mayweather Jr gym in Las Vegas after arriving from the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles where he said he sparred with “a number of different opponents including bigger fighters who were 130 pounds.”
Gorres said “whenever I sparred Roach would be in my corner.” He said “I am ready, really ready” for a ferocious battle just like his stable-mate Mark Jason Melligen who also faces a truly formidable opponent in 5’11” Mexican FECOMBOX light middleweight champion Michael Rosales.
Melligen has been preparing for over a month at the Mayweather gym in Las Vegas under the watchful eye of trainer Edmund Villamor and former Cebu resident Tony Martin .
Melligen is hoping to keep his four-fight winning streak since he made his US debut, going. Martin told us they have been pushing Melligen to “the very limit of his endurance” in training and Gorres indicated this has paid off.
He said the southpaw Melligen looked good when he saw him train at the Mayweather Gym, adding that “he was moving well and looked strong.”
Martin indicated Melligen had shown tremendous improvement since he first started training in Las Vegas and his “confidence and will to win have increased ten-fold.” The trainer also said he has been most impressed with “the devastating punching power he (Melligen) has in both hands.” Martin believes that if Melligen catches Rosales with a good shot “he will go down and stay down.”
Martin revealed that his sparring sessions have been hard and Melligen has dome over 100 rounds against tough southpaw Said “Prince” Ouali (26-3, 18 KO’s), undefeated middleweight Dion Savage (6-0, 4 KO’s) and Ramon Montano (17-7-2, 2 KO’s) a one-time sparring partner of Pacquiao who gave WBC lightweight champion David Diaz a hard time before losing a ten round decision. Pacquiao later annihilated Diaz in nine rounds.
Also on the card will be Federico Catubay (25-15-3, 13 KO’s) who takes on Juan Alberto Rosas (30-5, 25 KO’s) in an IBF super flyweight title eliminator, along with promising super flyweight Rodolfo “The Sting” Sumabong (7-0, 3 KO’s) and veteran light welterweight, southpaw Fernando Montilla (33-20-4, 22 KO’s) .
