Strike 3 not for Milan

It was supposed to be Strike 3 for Milan Melindo. It was supposed to be the end of the line for Milan after missing out on two opportunities to win a world championship. On the side, last weekend was designed for Japan to claim all four major belts of the junior flyweight division: WBO, WBA, WBC and IBF. But Milan had something else in mind and did it in devastating fashion, unleashing a homerun of a win as he bagged the IBF junior flyweight title via first round technical knockout over former three-division world champion Akira Yaegashi. After two tough losses to Juan Francisco Estrada for the WBO flyweight title in 2013 and to Javier Mendoza for the IBF junior flyweight title in 2015, Milan is finally a world champion. No interim tags this time. Plain and simple world champion.

It’s been a rocky ride for Milan who wowed the boxing world when he burst into the scene as an ALA boxer, fresh from the amateur ranks. Working his way up slowly but surely, he recorded win after win, including stops at winning regional titles of the WBO, WBA and the WBC along the way. While it may not have been scripted this way, it seems fitting that the IBF world title was the only missing item in his career. Every win was practically methodical, surgical and built by El Metodico’s ways. Those two losses were tough but excellent learning experiences that Milan needed to get to know himself more and find out how far he could really go. And now we know, don’t we?

Two things stood out in Milan’s one-round TKO win. The first is how he truly lived up to his nickname “El Metodico.” Not known for his knockout power, Milan’s wins come methodically (literally). He studies his opponent, breaks him down, and goes to a strategic and technical approach to beat up his foe. I wasn’t then surprised that Milan scored the first round win. His counter left hooks and uppercuts landed on target most of the time, thanks to studying his opponent well. When you watch the replay at 8 p.m. tonight on Sports+Action, look for Milan’s left hitting the body of Yaegashi more than once. This slowed down the former world champion considerably, and made him vulnerable for the left hook to the top of the head for the first knockdown. Sure, Yaegashi got up before the count of eight, but he never adjusted. Milan scored the second knockdown via a twisting left upper cut that found its mark between the gloves of Yaegashi. This came after Yaegashi decided not to play safe or run away from trouble. Instead, he came in strong and engaged in a fistfight, and this marked the end of the line for him. By coming on strong while still groggy, he gave Milan the perfect opportunity to score a third and last knockdown via a basic one-two left jab-right straight combination. True to being “El Metodico,” he went back to the basics to finish the fight. Jab-straight; 1-2. Nothing fancy, nothing special. Simply basic. The most impressive thing through the three knockdowns was that Milan did not rush in and look for a quicker ending. He remained calm, was patient and made sure he was methodical in scoring the win. He boxed and moved  if he hadn’t scored a knockdown. This was the key element of the win. By being patient and not “gigil,” he prepped himself better for a devastating finish and the world championship. And it took only one round.

The other aspect that was key to the win was Milan’s mental toughness. If he had been any other boxer, he would’ve taken this fight as a money-earning venture of a boxer who had previously lost in two world title fights. These type of boxers aren’t supposed to win a world title. They’re supposed to be used as stepping stones or “easy” opponents for a champion seeking to extend his reign. But again, Milan wasn’t willing to follow the script. After two strikes, he was determined not to strike out and fade away. After all, a loss could’ve meant a road to retirement. It was actually the other way around as Yaegashi was the one who struck out after hitting the canvass three times. Did you say Strike 3? I wonder where he gets this mental toughness as you can’t teach this at the gym. It’s either there or not. When you see Milan up close, you might notice his smile that also looks like a sneer. It’s the only physical sign of his toughness outside of his boxing skills. If he wasn’t mentally tough, he would’ve been out by now; and I’m sure he has seen this happen to some (or many) of his boxer friends.

Things have only begun for the new IBF junior flyweight champion Milan Melindo. You can bet that Japanese promoters have already made a bunch of juicy offers for Milan to defend his title in Japan. Do I hear Mexico calling? We even have a challenge from another Pinoy in Randy Petalcorin. Was this done for show or was there a real offer? Hmm.

Kudos Milan. How fitting. By being mentally tough and sticking to the basics, you didn’t strike out. You hit it out of the park!