Melligen TKOs foe in US debut

ALA Boxing Gym mainstay Mark Jason Melligen passed his US debut with flying colors, hacking out a methodical fifth round TKO of Gerardo Cesar Prieto in their non-title light welterweight bout bankrolled by Top Rank Promotions yesterday in Denver, Colorado.

ALA big boss Antonio "Bidoy" L. Aldeguer relayed in a text message that Melligen knocked down Prieto in the third round and relentlessly punished him thereafter with a collection of head and body shots, forcing the Mexican to throw in the towel before the start of round six.

 "I could see his punches. He was big but he was slow. Throughout the fight, I punished him with my combinations and most of them were power punches. He could also hit me but they were not that strong as compared to what he received from me. I am so happy and I do thank my manager, Mr. Aldeguer and my trainer, Tony Martin and his son, Edward, who accompanied and support me here," said Melligen in a report philboxing.com.

Melligen's trainer Tony Martin, however, was not satisfied with his performance saying that his 22-year-old ward could have done something better.

"In all honesty, I am not completely satisfied with the performance of Melligen. I know he could do better. At 147 pounds, he was a little slow and did not throw the combination I wanted him to inflict to his opponent. Melligen knows he needs to bring down his fighting weight in his next fight in order to maximize his potential," said Martin in the same internet report.

The Bacolod City-native Melligen, who had also fought in Australia and South Korea, improved his record to 13-1 not spiked with 10KOs, while Prieto slipped to 6-5-1. – THE FREEMAN