Melindo, target ang WBC belt ni Shiro
KUMPIYANSA si dating IBF junior flyweight champion Milan 'El Metodico' Melindo na muli siyang magiging kampeong pandaigdig sa ikatlong pagsagupa sa Japan laban kay WBC light flyweight beltholder Ken Shiro sa Oktubre 7 sa Yokohama.
Unang lumaban sa Japan si Melindo noong Mayo 21, 2017 nang gitlain niya ang boxing fans makaraang patulugin niya sa 1st round si ex-IBF light flyweight champion Akira Yaegashi sa Ariake Colosseum sa Tokyo.
Ngunit sa ikalawang pagsagupa sa Japan, natalo siya sa puntos sa unification bout kay WBA light flyweight champion Ryoichi Taguchi noong Disyembre 31, 2017 sa Ota City General Stadium sa Tokyo rin.
Naniniwala ang trainer ni Melindo na si Edmund Villamor na may 80 porsiyentong tsansa ang ALA boxer na mahablot ang WBC title. Ngunit buo ang kumpiyansa ni Melindo na maaagaw ang titulo ni Shiro.
“I will use my vast experience to defeat Shiro. I am 100% confident of winning this fight and I will make sure I'll win this fight,” sabi ni Melindo sa Philboxing.com.
Pinili ng manedyer at promoter ni Shiro ang nakalistang No. 5 sa WBC na si Melindo dahil sikat sa Japan ang boksingerong Pinoy kaya tiyak na panonoorin ng boxing fans.
“They will be able to sell Milan on Japanese TV. I think that's why they handpicked him,” sabi ni Villamor. “Also if they'll beat Milan, Shiro's stock will surely rise. So they took the risk. They probably saw something in Milan that made them believed Shiro will beat him but we are very confident of our chances of winning this fight.”
Idinagdag ni Villamor na mas matangkad ng tatlong pulgada si Shiro kaya tiyak na gagamitin nito ang hit and run tactics para manaig sa puntos kay Melindo.
“That's what we've been preparing in the gym because we know Shiro is going to box against Milan. And we're ready to disrupt his style when he does that,” dagdag ni Villamor.
Diin naman ni Melindo: “The boxer who is able to dictate the tempo of this fight – to force the other boxer to fight the style of his opponent, wins this fight.”
May rekord si Melindo na 37 panalo, 3 talo na may 13 pagwawagi sa knockouts kumpara kay Shiro na may perpektong 13 panalo, 7 sa pamamagitan ng knockouts.