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Philippines, 20 Apr 2024 |
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ALA PROMOTIONS ENDS YEAR WITH A BANG By Dong Secuya PhilBoxing.com Sat, 29 Oct 2016  CEBU CITY ? ALA Promotions, the Philippines' premier promotional outfit, will treat Cebuano boxing fans with a loaded card as its final offering for the year. Pinoy Pride 39 on Nov 26 lines up ALA Gym's hottest prospects on the undercard of the Milan Melindo vs Fahlan Sakkreerin Jr IBF Interim light flyweight championship bout which will also see the return of 'Prince' Albert Pagara and Jason 'El Ni?o' Pagara in the featured undercard. Additionally, by selecting the historic Cebu Coliseum as venue, the die-hard street level boxing fans will again be offered an opportunity to see a world class boxing event. Melindo (34-2-0, 12KOs) will have his third chance to win a world title when he faces fellow world title challenger Sakkreerin Jr (birth name Teerapong Uthaida) (31-4-1, 16KOs). Melindo lost to Juan Francisco Estrada of Mexico for the WBO/WBA world flyweight titles on July 27, 2013 and to Javier Mendoza of Mexico for the IBF light flyweight title on May 30, 2015. Sakkreein Jr, meanwhile, lost to Katsunari Takayama for the IBF world minimumweight title on April 22, 2015. During Friday's lunch with the Cebu media, Melindo, who struggled with his weight in his last two fights and his performances were all but impressive, said, ?This is serious now because this is a world title fight. My first priority now is impress the fans and win a world title in my own my backyard. That's why I've trained very hard for this fight.? Melindo added that he has seen the fight videos of Sakkreerin and acknowledged that the Thai can box well and has the advantage in height and reach. ?But I have seen weaknesses to his style of fighting. I will turn his height and reach advantage to my advantage. You will see the Milan Melindo of old in this fight,? added Melindo whose highly technical skill earned him the moniker of 'El Metodico'. 
The cast of 'Pinoy Pride 39' during Friday's lunch with the Cebu media at the Abuhan Tres restaurant at the IT Business Park in Lahug, Cebu City. 
L-R: Jonas Sultan, Melvin Jerusalem, Jeo Santisima, Jimmy Paypa, Albert Pagara, Milan Melindo, Jason Pagara and Kevin Jake Cataraja. Photos by Levi Deresas / PhilBoxing.com. In the main undercard, WBO No. 1 super lightweight Jason 'El Ni?o' Pagara (39-2-0, 24KOs) takes on former world champion Jose Alfaro (28-10-1, 24KOs) of Nicaragua in a 10-round welterweight bout. Pagara hasn't lost a fight in five years and knocked out Abraham Alvarez in the 3rd round in his last bout at the San Mateo Event Center in San Mateo, CA on July 9. Alfaro won the vacant WBA world lightweight title on Dec. 29, 2007 against Prawet Singwancha of Thailand in Westfalen, Germany. He however lost the title in his first defense on May 19, 2008 against Yusuke Koboni in Tokyo, Japan. He fought against Erik Morales, Antonio DeMarco, Yoshihiro Kamegai and Humberto Soto in his attempt to win another world title but failed. ?Alfaro is a tough opponent and he comes to fight,? the elder Pagara said. ?This will be a real fight for me. I've seen his videos and I saw his weakness is his body so I'm going to exploit that.? On the featured undercard, 'Prince' Albert Pagara (26-1-0, 18KOs), after a disastrous loss to Cesar Juarez last July 9 in San Mateo, California, returns to action against Raymond Commey (16-3-0, 9KOs) of Ghana in a 10-round featherweight bout. Commey, after losing to XiaoJun Qiu of China for the WBA International super bantamweight title last Feb. 12, bounced back with a win over Raymond Ansah last April. The younger Pagara, 22, said he almost decided to quit boxing after the Juarez loss but he has been encouraged by relatives and friends and specially by his wife Rosa Mary to continue to fight. ?Yes, I almost quit boxing but I realized I'm still young,? Pagara said. Pagara, who suffered from a type of concussion when he was hit hard in the head by Juarez in the fateful 8th round and could not move his feet, said there was discomfort when he came back to train but ?it's all gone now and I'm back working out hard.? Pagara added that the biggest lesson he has learned from the Juarez debacle is to improve on his stamina and said, ?I do a lot of sprinting now to really improve my stamina.? Heading the regular undercard lineup is fast rising knockout artist Jeo Santisima (11-2-0, 10KOs) of Masbate who will take on power puncher Rex Wao (11-3-0, 9KOs) of Baguio City in a 10-round super bantamweight bout, a matchup that will surely ignite fireworks and will most likely not go the distance. Santisima, after a 2-win, 2-loss start in his pro career, stopped his last nine opponents, the last three over Marco Demecillo, Tabthong Tor Buamas of Thailand and Junior Bajawa of Indonesia. Wao, on the other hand, won 11 of his first 12 fights but lost his last two for regional titles ? against Xian Qian Wei of China for Asian Boxing Council / Eurasia Pacific Boxing Council featherweight titles and against Takahiro Yamamoto for the OPBF bantamweight title. WBO Oriental super bantamweight champion Jimmy Paypa (18-3-1, 6KOs) of Lanao del Sur who defeated comebacking Bernabe Concepcion in his last outing, will take on Jerry Nardo (21-9-0, 11KOs) of Bacolod City in a 10-round super featherweight non-title bout. Jonas Sultan (11-3-0, 7KOs) of Zamboanga del Norte will face Jonathan Francisco (8-6-1, 2KOs) also of Zamboanga del Norte in a 8-round super flyweight bout. This fight is a rematch of their June, 2014 bout wherein Sultan lost by split decision. After a decision loss to Go Onaga in Japan on Nov. 15, 2015, Sultan bounced back and won his last two fights by stoppage: against Tatsuya Ikemizu of Japan and against fellow Filipino Romel Oliveros. Undefeated Melvin 'Gringo' Jerusalem (10-0-0, 7KOs) of Bukidnon takes on Bonjon Loperez (10-5-1, 5KOs) of Angono, Rizal in a 6-round minimumweight bout. Jerusalem's biggest win so far was against former world champion Florante Condes last February. He followed it up with another decision win against Jonathan Refugio last July. Loperez, meanwhile, won his last fight against Orlie Silvestre last June 4. Winding the regular undercards is another undefeated prospect Kevin 'Jake' Cataraja (4-0-0, 3KOs) of Cebu City who will face John Kenan Villaflor (6-1-2, 2KOs) also of Cebu City. Cataraja has been touted in the same league as undefeated ALA Gym contender Mark 'Magnifico' Magsayo. ALA Promotions PR manager Chelna Locaylocay said that the loaded card will be a real treat to Cebuano fans. ?We always heard a lot of complaints on why we always put our events at the Waterfront Hotel where only the rich can afford,? Chelna said. ?Now the security guards, the street vendors and the jeepney drivers will have a chance to see a world championship fight and watch their boxing idols in person.? General admission tickets costs only 50 pesos (2 US dollars) and the most expensive ticket at VIP first row section is priced at 3,000 pesos (62 US dollars). Click here to view a list of other articles written by Dong Secuya.  |
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