Pinoy Pride 34: Villanueva, Melindo eye rebound

King Arthur Villanueva (left) and Mexican Victor Mendez both make weight for their WBC international super flyweight title fight Saturday night at hoops dome in Lapu-lapu City.

LAPU-LAPU CITY—They both bungled their previous world title bids. Now, “King” Arthur Villanueva and Milan Melindo are raring to get back into boxing’s elite ranks.

Villanueva will tangle with Mexican Victor Mendez for the World Boxing Council International super flyweight championship in the headliner of “Pinoy Pride 34” Saturday night at Hoops Dome here.

Melindo collides with substitute fighter Victor Emmanuel Olivo, also of Mexico, in the chief support of the 66-round “Back With a Vengeance” card put up by ALA Promotions in cooperation with ABS-CBN.

Still smarting from his technical decision loss to Puerto Rican McJoe Arroyo in their clash for the International Boxing Federation super flyweight crown in July last year in El Paso, Texas, Villanueva vowed to beat Mendez convincingly in their 12-round tussle.

The 26-year-old Bacoleño said he trained hard for three months to vanish the memory of that defeat, his first after 27 wins, including 14 knockouts.

“I am ready and have studied him thoroughly. He wants to mix it up,”  Villanueva said in Filipino after yesterday’s official weigh-in held at Gaisano Island Mall.

The 27-year-old Melindo, who bowed to Mexican Juan Francisco Estrada in their battle for the World Boxing Organization flyweight title in 2013, was originally slated to fight Carlos Fontes, but had to contend with Olivo (9-0, 4 KOs) instead after Fontes contacted dengue fever last week.

Former amateur stalwart Kevin Jake Cataraja clashes with Indonesian Faris Nenggo (10-8-3), who knocked out Filipino former WBO minimum weight king Merltio Sabillo in Cebu in 2014.

Veteran AJ “Bazooka” Banal will face Tanzanian Emilio Norbat (24-6, 18 KOs).