Who said Filipinos are not real boxing fans? Who said Pacquiao is all Filipinos got and will follow? Well I got news, there are other talented boxers from the country and Filipinos are well aware of them.
Despite being staged at the same night as the Holyfield vs. Botha fight, the Top Rank card headlined by Mark Melligen was well attended. A myth that Filipinos won?t travel to see Pacquiao fight if it?s not in Las Vegas was already proven false during the Pacquiao vs. Clottey bout. Now a myth that Filipinos will only travel to see Pacquiao and have very little knowledge about the intricacies about the sport have also been put to rest.
Not only did Filipinos traveled from distant places such as Canada and California to watch Melligen fight, but many of them were very knowledgeable boxing fans who had been following the fighter?s career.
But it was definitely worth the travel for those who attended the fight as Melligen won impressively against the solid Norberto Gonzalez who had only lost once previously. Melligen has definitely worked on some his flaws such as defense and ring generalship. It speaks volumes of his work ethic and now he is one of the more promising young Filipino prospects.
The fans were also given another treat since one of the undercards featured the super talented Jose Benavidez Jr., a former member of the USA national team and the youngest ever to win a Golden Gloves champion when he was only 16 years old. Still a teenager at 17, Benavidez is a boxer/puncher; a powerful fighter who also possesses the technical skills and ring generalship beyond his age.
No doubt that the event was a success and Philippine boxing is on the rise. Despite being filled with relatively unknowns, the event still attracted a decent amount of crowd and was televised by Fox Sports Espanol. Moreover, it was covered by ABS-CBN and the Minny Pacquiao: All Access, a new show dedicated to promote the sport and Filipino boxers.
