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I had the pleasure to chat briefly (via interpreter) with Filipino prospect, Mark Jason Melligen on Wednesday night.
Mark recently surprised his skeptics by winning a TKO victory over Raymond Gatica, who was undefeated at the time. The bout was an untelevised undercard for Top Rank Promotion’s Pinoy Power 3 / Latin Fury 13.
Melligen (17-2, 13 KOs) is now preparing to fight Norberto Gonzalez (18-1, 12 KOs) on April 10th at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
Lorne: Congratulations on your recent victory over Raymond Gatica. You did a great job in that fight.
Mark: Thank you, sir.
Lorne: How’s the training coming along for your fight with Gonzalez?
Mark: Everything is going well in our training, sir. This will be our last week for sparring, and next week will be for conditioning only.
Lorne: Are you still training at Mayweather’s gym?
Mark: Yes sir. I’ve been training in Mayweather’s gym since I came here to the States.
Lorne: Do you still spar with Floyd?
Mark: I used to, but not anymore. It’s been a long time.
Lorne: What do you know about your next opponent?
Mark: I know that he is also a good fighter, but I don’t want him to be over confident about me because it’s going to be a good fight for me.
Lorne: Who are some fighters that inspire you?
Mark: Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Lorne: If they ever fight, who do you think will win?
Mark: I don’t know.
Lorne: That’s a very smart answer. (Laughing)
Mark: They’re both great fighters, and for me, I don’t think either one of them will go down. They’re going to go all the way through to a decision.
Lorne: Here’s your chance to promote your next fight. What would you like to say to your fans?
Mark: To all my fans; I hope that you will support me for my next fight on April 10th. Thank you all so much.
Lorne: Thank you Mark. I’ll talk to you again soon. God bless you.
Mark: Thank you, sir. Take care.
It might seem a bit unusual for a Filipino pugilist to be fans of both Pacquiao and Mayweather. My interpreter for this interview, Deang Mallari, is a Filipino-American who lives in Lowell, Arkansas.
After the interview, she said: ?There’s nothing wrong with being a fan of both fighters. They have very different personalities, but they’re both great boxers.?
(AP Photo)
While this writer has been openly critical of Mayweather’s antics and persona outside the ring, I’ve always respected Mayweather’s brilliance as a boxer. No matter what he is, or isn’t, outside the ring, he’s one of the most skilled boxers the sport has ever witnessed.
Mark Jason Melligen, and many other boxers look up to Floyd because of his extraordinary skills.
How can any true boxing fan ignore or deny his talents?
