Milan Melindo was his usual precise, methodical and composed self. His Mexican opponent Juan Esquer, on the other hand, displayed some hysterics worthy of an Oscar acting award.
Melindo capped a dominating performance by the Filipino boxers by stopping Esquer with a seventh-round technical knockout in the main event of the Pinoy Pride XI: Philippines vs. The World at the jam-packed Grand Ballroom of the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino Saturday night.
The Melindo-skippered Filipino boxers scored a clean 5-0 (win-loss) sweep much to the delight of the full-house crowd.
The 23-year-old Melindo, nicknamed El Metodico, sealed the TKO win in the 2:16 mark of the seventh round as Esquer’s corner threw in the towel after the Mexican boxer laid on the canvass after claiming that he was hit by a low blow.
Inching closer to a possible world title shot, Melindo retained his WBO Intercontinental Flyweight title and now has 25 wins (10KOs) with no loss and no draw. The Cagayan de Oro native has yet to lose since turning pro in 2005.
Melindo was on target all-fight long, peppering EsquEr with solid combinations to the body and head.
Esquer (27W-21KOS-9L-2D) went into the match reeling from a loss to Ricardo Nuñez last Nov. 23 of last year, where he was disqualified due to low blows.
But against Melindo, it was Esquer who repeatedly complained of low blows.
solid right
In the opening round, Melindo tagged Esquer with a solid right hook to the body that stunned the Mexican boxer. Esquer stared at referee Danrex Tapdasan, complaining that he was hit by a low blow.
Esquer’s incessant complaining somehow paid off in the fourth round, when the referee asked Milendo to keep his punches up and warned him of a low blow.
Melindo got his second warning for a low blow early in the fifth. The two boxers went toe-to-toe in the middle of the ring when Milendo hit Esquer below the belt line.
Esquer fell to the canvas and thrashed around the ring. Esquer continued with his antics and tried to convince the referee that he was in intense pain. Esquer tried to get up six times only to slump back on the canvas.
loud boos
Amid the loud boos from the crowd, Tapdasan was in Esquer’s face reminding the boxer that he had five minutes to recover or face disqualification.
Sensing that the acting job was futile, Esquer finally stood up and ran toward Melindo as boxing action continued.
Even the ending was bizarre. The two boxers slugged it out in the corner of the ring when Esquer clearly hit Melindo with a low blow. Melindo felt the blow and tried to extricate himself.
Melindo threw a punch, hitting Esquer in the right shoulder. The Mexican boxer fell to the canvass and feigned a low blow.
Esquer laid on the canvass for a while before his corner finally threw in the towel for the abrupt ending.
“He knew he was going to go down. He was looking for ways to end the fight because I can sense that I was already hurting him,” said Milan, whose victory could spell an intriguing battle against Brian Viloria, who is the reining WBO world flyweight title. Melindo is rated number one in that division.
“We will make an offer to them. If they’ll accept then we will go for it,” said ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer.
Aldeguer said Melindo is mandated to fight within nine months against an opponent belonging to the top 15 in his division so he could earn a world title shot.