AFTER defeating Brian Viloria in Macau and becoming the WBA and WBO flyweight champion, Mexican Juan Francisco Estrada acknowledged that he was now the man to beat and stated, ?Now, the cameras will turn on me. Before this fight I considered myself a nobody in boxing.?
No sooner had the euphoria of that victory died down before Estrada was already challenged by a fighter who was similarly dying to make his mark in the world stage.
He was none other than Milan Melindo-Viloria?s compatriot, a young, hungry fighter waiting patiently on the sidelines all these years, considered by many to be ripe for a world title.
Prior to that, he had been pining for a shot against Viloria, but the latter would have none of a Pinoy vs. Pinoy showdown.
Perhaps, it is fate playing its role in shaping a person?s destiny that Milan?s date with greatness was never meant to be against Viloria, but against Estrada.
STYLES. Which is just as well, probably. Truth be told, the Viloria vs. Melindo matchup was considered by many pundits to be a toss-up. A common consensus is that it would be Viloria dominating early with Milan coming on strong in the late rounds.
Mind you, this is not to say we didn?t like Milan?s chances against Viloria, but rather this is a case of the styles-make-fights aphorism coming into play.
The loss to Estrada was a painful one for Viloria as he was dominating the fight early, but lost steam in the second half which is typical of the ?Hawaiian Punch.?
But Milan fights quite differently than Viloria and he can be effective where the latter was not.
ADVANTAGE. In that fight, Viloria made a tactical error of slugging it out with Estrada in the final rounds. Estrada appears to be a prolific inside fighter and a phone-booth brawl was exactly what he preferred.
He was able to do this because Viloria was fatigued and dead beat in the last few rounds. He lacked the energy to fend off Estrada?s attacks and move around the ring.
A tired fighter makes many mistakes and Viloria certainly was in no condition to keep Estrada at the end of his jab in the final rounds.
This is where Milan?s style meshes perfectly well with Estrada. Milan doesn?t move around too much, and relishes action in close quarters.
Milan?s signature move is a left uppercut-left hook combo that he executes exceptionally well. He is also known to finish his fights strong and won?t be bushed by the time the championship rounds kick in.
That being said, it is imperative that Milan must be in exceptional physical condition for this fight otherwise, Estrada might outlast him.
Estrada though, appears to have a slight advantage in speed against Milan, a benefit he did not possess against the faster Viloria.
But Milan has been known to beat speed with his craftiness and impeccable timing so this fight is indeed going to be intriguing with many different dimensions coming into play.
FEEDBACK. Last Rounder Tony Padua graces us with his insights in response to our last column ?Is the Jinx Over? Here?s Tony:
?With all due respect to your opinion, here is why to me the knockout was not shocking at all. Please keep in mind I am not an aficionado of the fight game. It?s just business…
At 1:10 of round 6, the first announcer says how Pacquiao looks good, hands held high.The other announcer follows that Marquez looks clumsy and flat footed.
You hear the ringside clapper go off with 10 seconds left, and see Pacquiao, perhaps with not enough stamina left, react to the sound, drop his hands and go into a rope-a-dope dance. In a split second Marquez takes advantage of the golden opportunity.
And an entire country goes into denial.Why was that so shocking? Pacquiao was not in good enough shape, and Marquez made him pay.?
LAST ROUND. It?s on the UP Latagaw Brotherhood. Happy Anniversary brods! Here?s a shout-out to support and attend our 3rd Annual Poker Tournament at the Metro Card Club on July 27, 2013 at 2PM. Dinner and fellowship follows at the swanky Aicila Suites along Cabancalan road. See you there, in HBST. Cheers!
