COMING in with just a week’s notice, 19-year-old last-minute replacement Victor Emmanuel Olivo is overflowing with confidence and believes that he’ll be able to do what no Mexican has ever done, beat Milan Melindo in his home soil.
Olivo stepped in for Melindo’s original opponent Carlos Fontes, who was hit by dengue fever, in one of the main featured fights of Pinoy Pride 34 – “Back with a Vengeance” at the Hoops Dome in Lapu-Lapu City.
Olivo respects Melindo and feels that it’ll be a difficult fight for him. But he still believes that at the end of the night it’ll be his hand that will be raised.
“It will be a tough fight. It will be a struggle but I have trained hard in the gym, I’m young, and I will give him a good fight,” Olivo said in yesterday’s final press conference at the Fiesta Bay Asian Restaurant. “I feel confident because of my training. I will win and go back to Mexico undefeated.”
Olivo, who started his pro career last year, is undefeated with a 9-0 record including four knockouts. He is a three-time national champion when he was still in the amateur ranks and is a local champion in pro ranks in Sonora.
He was supposed to be scheduled to fight on Dec. 5 but when Fontes pulled out, he jumped at the opportunity to face an opponent with the caliber and name of Melindo.
Olivo trains under Jose Caballero and is a sparring partner of current World Boxing Organization (WBO) and World Boxing Association (WBA) flyweight king Juan Francisco Estrada, one of the two Mexican fighters that has beaten Melindo.
The 27-year-old Melindo is eager to bounce back from a controversial technical decision loss to International Boxing Federation (IBF) flyweight champion Javier Mendoza and will make good account of himself in his ring return despite the fact that he knows nothing about his opponent.
“My preparation was for Fontes. He (Olivo) was given to me just this week, which is hard because our game plan and our sparring was for Fontes. I know he is undefeated, has a good amateur background and a very talented fighter. But despite the opponent change, I will do my best to put on one of my best performances,” said Melindo, who will be in a 10-round non-title fight with Olivo.
Melindo is 32-2 with 12 knockouts.
The main event features a 12-round title fight between Arthur Villanueva against Mexican prospect Victor Mendez for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) International super flyweight strap.
“I will do my best to win the belt. The style of Mendez is that he is a fighter, and also has power. That’s the type of fighter that I want to fight. This won’t reach 12 rounds,” said the 26-year-old Villanueva, 27-1 with 14 knockouts.
Like Melindo, Villanueva is also coming off a controversial defeat, losing to McJoe Arroyo by technical decision.
“I have much respect for the Philippines but I will bring the belt back to Mexico,” said Mendez, who is riding a five-fight winning romp.
Mendez, 22, is 19-2-2 with 15 knockouts.
Former amateur standout Kevin Jake Cataraja (1-0, 1 KO) faces off with veteran Faris Nenggo (10-8-3, 3 KOs) for six rounds in one of the main featured bouts.
Former world title contenders AJ “Bazooka” Banal (33-2-1, 22 KOs) and Rocky Fuentes (35-8, 20 KOs) is also seeing action in the undercard.
Banal trades leathers with Tanzanian Emilio Norfat (25-6, 19 KOs), while Fuentes locks horns with Indonesian Afrizal Tamboresi (9-2, 7 KOs).
