NINE BOUTS highlighted by the title fight between rising Filipino boxer Milan Melindo and Thai Naupayak Sakkririn make up the first ever staging of the VisMin Cup next month in Cagayan de Oro City.
The 19-year-old Melindo and Sakkririn will be fighting for the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) Asia-Pacific minimumweight title recently vacated by Donnie Nietes, who himself will be vying for the WBO minimumweight crown currently being hold by Pornsawan Kratingdaenggym also of Thailand.
Although the main bout is not an official part of the seven-card boxing competition pitting fighters from the Visayas and Mindanao, Melindo remains the sentimental favorite to win being a native of the district of Puerto in Cagayan de Oro.
Melindo from the famed ALA boxing gym of patriach Tony Aldeguer is unbeaten in 11 fights, 3 of them by knockout.
Patterned after the Boxing World Cup, a bilateral meet between foreign countries, the professional boxing promotion is set on Oct. 6 at the Mindanao Polytechnic College State.
“It?s actually an intramural between Mindanao and Visayan boxers. This is not to discourage our boxers from the north, but let?s face it, karamihan ng boxers natin ngayon galing sa south,” said Bulletn sports columnist Ed Picson, the man behind the VisMin Cup, at the PSA Forum yesterday at the Shakey?s United Nations Ave. branch.
Picson added in the same session sponsored by Shakey?s and PAGCOR that the meet also seeks to discover other potential and world caliber boxers who could follow in the footsteps of current Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao.
“Alam naman natin na si Manny Pacquiao ang puno?t dulo ng muling pag-angat ng boxing sa bansa, kaya kailangan ng continuity to develop and find more Pacquiao?s in our midst,” said the long-time anchorman who has long been involved in boxing as a blow-by-blow announcer.
A 46-round card is in stored for fight fans, with Weng Haya from the ALA Bukidnon stable taking on Dave Plana from Leyte in a 10-round super-bantamweight fight serving as the main bout of the night.
