Melindo sees easy fight vs Mexican foe

CEBU, Philippines – A confident ALA Boxing Gym star Milan “El Metodico” Melindo sees an easy outing as he defends his WBO Intercontinental flyweight crown against Mexican Juan “Panterita” Esquer in the main event of the “Pinoy Pride XI:Philippines vs The World” tomorrow at the Pacific Grand Ballroom of Waterfront-Cebu City Hotel and Casino.

“I trained not for him (Esquer) but for a world title fight. This fight is very easy for me,” said Melindo during the event’s final press conference yesterday at the Aegean room of the posh hotel.

 Seated just a few inches apart, Esquer calmly took Melindo’s stingy verbal shot.

 “His words don’t shock me because I have already fought seven world champions. For me, he is a newbie,” said Esquer through his Cebuano interpreter Mon Escaño.

 The challenger even told Melindo straight to the face, “tumbahon tika (I will knock you down).”

 “I’m here to win. I came prepared. You will see on Saturday how Melindo will fall,” said Esquer. “I hope the judges won’t help him because he’s fighting in his hometown.”

 But Melindo shoots down any possibility of an Esquer upset, more so derail his bid for a crack at the world championship.

 “If he’s wiser than me, he can beat me. If not, he can beat me in my dreams,” said the Cagayan de Oro City-native warrior. “I just hope he will make good of his promise to knock me out in the early rounds because if not, it’s the other way around.”

 For his part, ALA chief trainer Edito Villamor said his ward shouldn’t be overconfident given the fighting spirit of the Mexican fighters.

 “We can’t take the Mexicans lightly because they’re here to fight and win. But we’re ready for everything. With the two boxers aching to score a knockout, then expect one of them to fall down,” said Villamor.