Former world title contender “King” Arthur Villanueva had to strip off his underwear to make weight in yesterday’s official weigh-in ceremony for the Pinoy Pride 34: Back with a Vengeance fight card at the Gaisano Mactan Island Mall.
Villanueva, who sports a 27-1-0 (win-loss-draw) record with 14 knockout wins, is set to fight Mexican Victor “Spock” Mendez (19-2-2, 15KOs) for the WBC international super flyweight title in the main event tonight at the Hoops Dome in Lapu-Lapu City.
“King” Arthur Villanueva (left) and his Mexican opponent Victor ” Spock” Mendez show their fighting form after their official weigh-in. Both will fight for the WBC International superflywight belt today in Lapu-Lapu City. (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)
Villanueva came in weighing 115.5 pounds, forcing him to remove his underwear to make the limit.
Mendez easily tipped the weighing scales at 115 pounds.
Despite the minor glitch, Villanueva said he is ready for fight night and is confident the match won’t go the distance.
“Maybe I had a little bit of difficulty getting the weight but there’s nothing to worry about because I am deeply focused and very eager to return inside the ring,” Villanueva said. “I assure everyone that this won’t last 12 rounds.”
According to Villanueva, he has studied his opponent well, which is the reason why he doesn’t see the bout going the distance. “He’s strong in the first three rounds as far as I know because I’ve watched his fight tapes.”
In the co-main event, Milan “El Metodico” Melindo (32-2-0, 12KOs) came in at 113.75 pounds while his opponent Victor Emmanuel Olivo of Mexico weighed in at 113 pounds, making everything okay for their 10-round junior flyweight non-title bout.
Melindo promised boxing fans that he’s going to put on a grand show. He’s also so confident that he dubbed this fight the “best Pinoy Pride fight” in history.
He already compared his fight against Olivo as a version of Pacquiao-Marquez duel.
“It’s going to be the greatest Pinoy Pride fight they will witness. I will fight him toe-to-toe and force him to a slugfest because he loves to fight in a distance. Me, I want to fight him close range. So I will force him to fight me toe-to-toe,” Melindo said.
Olivo, a Mexican amateur standout and an Olympian, has nine wins and four knockouts. He is a last-minute replacement of Carlos Fontes, who backed out due to health reasons.
In the special featured bout, young gun Kevin Jake Cataraja (1-0,1KO) eyes his second career win when he faces Indonesian Faris Nenggo.
Both fighters had no problem making weight, coming in at 112 pounds.
Two time ex-world title contender AJ “Bazooka” Banal also made weight at 127 pounds while his Tanzanian foe Emilio Norfat weighed in at 124.5 pounds.
Rocky “Road Warrior” Fuentes and his Indonesian foe Afrizal Tamboresi tipped the weighing scales at 114 pounds and 115 pounds, respectively.
Today’s fight card will kick off at 5:30 p.m.
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