World-rated AJ “Bazooka” Banal faces rugged Mexican Cecilio Santos in the big Smart Sports Sinulog fight card at the plush ballroom of the Waterfront Hotel in Cebu City on January 14.
In a fight card that is expected to showcase the new ABC 5 and its entry into big-time boxing, Banal and undefeated WBO minimum weight No.1 ranked Milan Melindo will face worthy opponents that are certain to provide a stiff test for both world-rated Filipino stars of the famed ALA Gym.
Santos’ record of 24-11-3 with 14 knockouts can be misleading because he fought a roster of champions no less than four times in world title fights including WBC bantamweight champion Veeeraphol, WBO super flyweight champion Fernando Montiel, WBA bantamweight champion Anselmo Moreno and IBF super flyweight champion Dimitri Kirilov.
Santos also held no less than five different regional titles. He also scored a 3rd round TKO over Dario Azuaga who went ten rounds with former two-division world champion Gerry Penalosa and scored a 7th round knockout over rugged Roberto Bonilla who had previously fought Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista.
Santos is coming off a 1st round knockout victory over Cesar Martinez on Saturday and is bound to feel confident against the southpaw Banal who is rated No. 5 by the IBF and the WBA and No. 7 by the WBO..
Santos is regarded as a very capable fighter but just short of being a world champion although he did hold IBF super flyweight champion Minitri Kirlov to a d raw in one of the Mexican’s ritle fights.
Respected boxing writer Graham Houston says Santos “always had a good chin and it took the hard-hitting Fernando Montiel (current WBO bantamweight champion) ten rounds to get him (Santos) out of the fight.”
Santos was also highly competitive for six rounds against the talented Olivier Lontchi but according to Houston “suddenly went down from a left hook to the body in the seventh and was counted out.” Up to that point Santos was taking the fight to Lontchi, hooking to the body, punching busily when he got his man on the ropes, bringing right hands over the top, jabbing at times.”
Against Banal Santos is likely to be the aggressor, moving forward and working hard to take the Filipino southpaw out of his rhythm and to try and pin him against the ropes. How Banal will cope with an experienced opponent like Santos who has fought some of the toughest fighters in world title clashes remains to be seen even as its clear that the fight will provide an insight into whether Banal really has the makings of a future world champion.
In the co-main event undefeated 21 year old Milan Melindo who has a record of 19-0 with 5 knockouts and is on the threshold of a world title shot will move up in weight to challenge 22 year old WBC Intercontinental Youth flyweight champion Anthony Villareal, a Mexican- American regarded as a fighter.
Melindo who is ranked No.1 minimum weight by the WBO is also ranked No. 3 by the WBA and the IBF and No. 5 by the WBC puts his lofty position in the world rankings on the line against Villareal who is regarded as a dangerous opponent.
Villareal is coming off an eight round split decision win over previously undefeated prospect Manuel Roman who had a record of 14-0-1 with 5 knockouts going into the fight with Villareal.
In a report from ringside at the Marriot Hotel in Irvine, California Raj Sharma said the two local flyweights both gave and took in a hard fought contest which was fought mainly on the inside. Villreal made Roman miss often, slipping under punches before returning fire.
Sharma said that while Roman seemed the harder puncher he was outworked by Villareal who was effective working to the body. Villareal even dropped Roman in the second round although Roman didn’t seem badly hurt and also didn’t seem bothered by the fact that he was bleeding from his right ear and scalp.
Two of the judges had Villareal a comfortable winner 79-72 and 77-74 but the third judge inexplicably scored the fight for Roman 77-74. With the win Villareal improved to 9-2 with 4 knockouts.
