Why recent loss shouldn’t dampen Milan Melindo’s spirit

If not for the cut he suffered in the third round of his unification title bout on New Year's Eve, Milan Melindo may still be a world champion.

He was wounded over the left eye in the third round against fellow champion Ryoichi Taguchi, who played his cards right.

"Remember iyong sinabi natin before this fight, the key factors are: No. 1, iyong jab ni Taguchi . . . plus iyong propensity ni Milan to get cut," boxing analyst Ed Tolentino said.

With Melindo sustaining a cut early in the bout, the taller Japanese champion suddenly found a target to focus on. This slowed down the shorter Melindo, who was having success in the first two rounds.

"He had to attack kasi maliit siya, pero how can you attack when you're blinded? Noong na-cut si Milan, doon natin nakita na naging hesitant siya. How can you attack pero tinatamaan na siya?" Tolentino said.

In the end, the judges saw Taguchi as the better fighter, awarding a unanimous-decision win to him. He now holds both WBA light-flyweight title and the IBF belt that Melindo used to own.

Author: Dennis Gasgonia, ABS-CBN News
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