Milan Melindo not worried about Taguchi’s height: It’s boxing, not basketball

MANILA, Philippines – The first thing that sticks out when Milan Melindo and Ryoichi Taguchi met in person for their media engagements is the height disparity. Taguchi, the WBA junior flyweight titleholder from Japan, was measured at 167.5 centimeters (about 5-foot-6), and stood nearly a full head taller than Melindo, the IBF titleholder from the Philippines, who is 157.5 centimeters (5-foot-2), according to a report in boxingnews.jp.

Taguchi’s 5-centimeter reach advantage at 171 centimeters hints at the strategy the hometown fighter might try to execute this Sunday, New Year’s Eve, when they meet at Ota-City Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan, to unify two of the 4 major titles at 108 pounds, while also determining the vacant Ring magazine lineal junior flyweight championship.

Melindo is no stranger to looking up when face-to-face with his opponents, his trainer Edito Villamor pointed out, naming wins over Fahlan Sakkreerin Jr, Jesus Geles, and Carlos Tamara as opponents of comparable height whom Melindo has beaten. The key is not losing one’s composure and sticking to a game plan, he said.

“It’s [about having] the right strategy, the one who make a mistake and the one who panics,” said Villamor, who was up late Friday night studying Taguchi (26-2-2, 12 knockouts) as Melindo sweated out at the hotel ahead of Saturday’s weigh-in, set for 12 noon (11 am Manila time). “When [the fighter] panics then he will go back to the old style. Like Akira [Yaegashi]; he panicked when he got knocked down.” 

(UPDATE: Melindo weighed 48.7kg, or 107.5 pounds, and Taguchi weighed 48.8kg, or 107.75 pounds)

統一戦の田口良一、身長差10cmも「踏み込み速い」 https://t.co/StcLRQBf6x pic.twitter.com/3YjhwFzget

— ボクシングビート (@beat_macc) December 29, 2017

Melindo (37-2, 13 KOs) was quick to dismiss the significance of their height difference, telling reporters in Japan that they’d be boxing, not playing basketball. But Taguchi hinted at how he’d make use of his height and reach and avoid being at a distance where Melindo can uncork power shots, just as he did in his first-round stoppage of Yaegashi to win the title in May. 

“The midrange is dangerous. I want to use my jab to get into the body,” Taguchi told Japan Times. “If I can move the way I’ve planned, I can win.”

Taguchi, 31, has made 6 defenses of his title. The lone blemish in his reign is a split-decision draw against Carlos Canizales on New Year’s Eve last year. Melindo, 29, of Cagayan de Oro City has made one defense, overcoming cuts over both eyes to win a split-decision over Hekkie Budler in September. (READ: Milan Melindo wants to become a boxing legend, starting with title unification)

Fans in Melindo’s home country will not be able to watch the fight live on television as ABS-CBN is not offering a pay-per-view feed, just as was the case for Melindo-Yaegashi. ABS-CBN has instead advertised the fight to be shown on January 2 at 8 pm, two days afterwards. TBS Television will broadcast the fight in Japan. 

Rappler asked the ABS-CBN’s media relations department for comment but it has not responded as of posting.

Only one major online betting parlor is taking odds on the fight, with Bet365 offering 8/15 ($100 returns $153.33) on a Taguchi win, and 11/8 ($100 returns $237.50) on a Melindo win, with the over/under listed at 9.5 rounds. – Rappler.com