Melchor bows to Mexican champ

Grizzled warrior Manny Melchor took everything that World Boxing Council (WBC) minimumweight champion Jose Antonio Aguirre dished out but rarely retaliated in losing a unanimous 12-round decision at the Jai Alia Fronton in Tijuana last Friday.

Aguirre, 25, was in control from the start. Still, he couldn’t put away the durable challenger from Oriental Mindoro. Melchor, 32, used his experience and guile to survive the distance but was clearly not in the Mexican’s class.

The scoring wasn’t close. The judges — Chuck Hassett, Roberto Gonzales, and Henry Elespuru — turned in scorecards of 120-108, 118-110, and 120-107. Referee Guillermo Ayon hardly worked up a sweat as there were no knockdowns in the one-sided bout.

Aguirre, in his third title defense since wresting the WBC crown on a majority decision over Wandee Singwangcha in Samut Sakorn, Thailand, last year, weighed in at 104 pounds. Melchor tipped the scales at 105.

The win improved Aguirre’s record to 28-1-1, with 18 KOs. Melchor’s record fell to 37-31-6, with six KOs.

The disparity in experience was evident as Melchor turned pro in 1987, eight years before Aguirre made his debut. Melchor has now seen action in 74 fights compared to only 30 for the Mexican.

Aguirre, a switchhitter, had previously repulsed challengers Jose Luis Zepeda and Erdene Chuluun via knockouts. He is booked to stake his next title defense against Wandee in a rematch in Bangkok.

It was the 29th world title fight between a Filipino and a Mexican since Raul (Raton) Macias stopped Leo Espinosa in the second round to retain the world bantamweight title in 1956. So far, Mexico has the edge with 19 wins, nine losses, and a draw. The last Filipino to beat a Mexican in a world title bout was Manny Pacquiao who knocked out Gabriel Mira here in April 1999. Five of the Filipinos’ nine wins came from Luisito Espinosa. Aside from Pacquiao and Espinosa, other Filipinos who beat Mexicans in world title fights were Roberto Cruz, Jesus Salud, and Rolando Pascua. Gerry Peñalosa drew with Joel Luna Zarate in a WBC superflyweight championship fight here in 1998.

Melchor reached the height of his career when he won the International Boxing Federation (IBF) miniflyweight crown on a 12-round decision over Phalan Lukmingkwan in Bangkok in 1992. He lost the title in his first defense to Ratanapol Sor Vorapin that same year.

Melchor campaigned in Japan from 1995 to 1997. One of his victims was Masamori Tokuyama, now the WBC superflyweight champion. When his visa expired, Melchor stayed in Japan as an illegal alien and did odd jobs for a living. He was later deported in the wake of a government crackdown on overstaying foreigners.

Melchor’s career took an upturn in late 1999 when he captured the WBC International minimumweight crown, out pointing Ernesto Rubillar. He turned back Chine Dayar Sukhbar of Mongolia in his first title defense but was dethroned by Zarlit Rodrigo in his second last October. If not for two-point deductions due to accidental headbutting, Melchor would’ve retained the title on a split draw with Rodrigo in the close bout.

Despite the loss to Aguirre, Melchor isn’t likely to hang up his gloves. To his credit, he managed to go the full route with Aguirre — a significant feat considering the Mexican’s first two challengers didn’t.