WBO minimumweight champion Wilfredo “Bimbito” Méndez will defend his title for the second time when he faces Ecuador's Pedro Villegas on Saturday, February 8th at the El Panama Hotel, in Panama City. Villegas is 12-0 but has only fought one opponent with a winning record-- and that boxer had lost 14 of his last 15 prior to fighting Villegas. Also, Villegas has never fought outside of Ecuador, has never fought a twelve rounder and has fought only one ten rounder.

 

The Puerto Rican Méndez, on the other hand, has a 15-1 record, with 5 KOs. He won the title in August of last year, when he defeated the Filipino Víctor Saludar by unanimous decision. In October, he defended the crown against Axel Aragón Vega of Mexico.

 

The announcement was made on Tuesday in the Topascio Room of the Hotel El Panama, in Panama City, where the President of the WBO, Francisco “Paco” Valcárcel was present, along with the representatives of the promoters who join forces for this event: G&V Enternainment and Spartan Boxing of Panama, together with PR Best Boxing of Puerto Rico.