Stablemates Donnie Nietes and Milan Melindo leads this year's awardees for boxing in the Sportswriters Association of Cebu-San Miguel Brewery Sports Awards on March 26 at the Robinsons Galleria Atrium.
The two ALA stable fighters are the major awardees for boxing, six others will receive citations in the annual gathering of Cebu's best athletes.
"Though Milan lost in his last fight in the last day of 2017, he was a world champion for most of the year and deserves recognition," said out-going SAC president Mike T. Limpag.
Melindo scored an impressive first-round knockout of Akira Yaegashi to win the IBF light flyweight belt last May 21, 2017 and defended it with a hard-earned split decision against Hekkie Budler at home. He lost in his next defense to Ryoichi Taguchi on Dec. 31 in Japan.
On the other hand, the peer-less Donnie Nietes won the vacant IBF flyweight title with a unanimous decision win against Komgrich Nantapech last April 29 at home, earning a world title in a third weight division in his lone fight of 2017. Nietes defended his belt with a knockout win against Juan Carlos Reveco last month.
On the other hand, Christian Araneta, Jhack Tepora, Mark Magsayo, Jonas Sultan, Joe Noynay and amateur fighter Denmar Cardeno will receive citations for boxing.
Araneta won the vacant WBO Oriental light flyweight title over Demsi Manufoe last March 18; Noynay earned the WBO Asia Pacific Youth Super featherweight title over Jin Xiang Pan last Dec. 16; Sultan defeated Sonny Boy Jaro for the IBF Inter Continental super flyweight title last May 7; Magsayo defended his WBO international featherweight belt twice; and Tepora won the WBO Inter-Continental featherweight title with a second-round knockout of Lusanda Kmanisi last Sept. 22.
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