'PINOY PRIDE' PUTS UP LAST SHOW OF THE YEAR WITH A BANG
By Dong Secuya
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 15 Nov 2014
CEBU CITY ? The highly successful 'Pinoy Pride' series, a boxing show by the Philippines' premier promotional boxing company, ALA Promotions, in partnership with the country's largest TV network ABS-CBN, closes the year with the biggest lineup of stars in a fully-stacked card ? on top of a world champion on the verge of making history ? in the show's 28th edition at the Waterfront Hotel & Casino tonight.
'Pinoy Pride', which has its initial edition on Oct. 10, 2010 and since then broke TV viewership records, will have its fourth show for the year, their last one was its first international card at the World Trade Center in Dubai on Sep. 5. But tonight's 'Pinoy Pride XXVIII ? History in the Making' is its biggest show yet at the expected sell out crowd that features two current world champions, one former world champion and two world title challengers spiced up with featuring two future boxing stars. Additionally, four of the featured boxers each have already headlined previous 'Pinoy Prides' individually.
Donnie 'Ahas' Nietes (33-1-4, 19KO), cool as a cucumber, will have another day in the office against a highly motivated Mexican challenger in Carlos 'Chapito' Velarde, not showing any signs of pressure where he is about to break Elorde's long standing record as the longest reigning Filipino world champion. Nietes, 32, world champion since April 21, 2007, will have all the respect and adulation he fully deserves when he climbs the ring tonight.
Milan 'El Metodico' Melindo (31-1-0, 12KO) failed to win a world title in his try against against Mexican elite Juan Francisco Estrada last year in Macau but vows to pursue another one quickly. He will face Mexican speedster Saul 'Baby' Juarez (20-3-0, 11KO) for the IBF junior flyweight eliminator.
L-R: AJ Banal, Albert Pagara, Milan Melindo, Donnie Nietes, ALA President Michael Aldeguer, Carlos Velarde, Saul Juarez, Raul Hirales and Francisco Rodriguez.
Magsayo (R) and Korea's Moon-Sun Jung.
Merlito 'Tiger' Sabillo (23-1-1, 12KO) who won the WBO minimumweight world title over Luis de la Rosa in Columbia in March last year and lost it to Mexico's Francisco Rodriguez in March this year, will try to position himself back to regain the title he lost to Rodriguez by facing Faris Nenggo (8-6-3, 2KO) in a 8 round minimumweight contest.
AJ 'Bazooka' Banal (31-2-1, 22KO) who failed to win a world title in two tries, will try to remain relevant and stoke the fires of his legion of followers when he faces Maxsaisai Sithsaithong (15-5-3, 4KO) of Thailand in a 8 round non-title super bantamweight bout.
Nietes, Melindo, Sabillo and Banal previously headlined the Pinoy Pride series individually.
'Prince' Albert Pagara (21-0-0, 15KO) , the crowd-pleasing younger brother of Jason Pagara, will try to build momentum to his undefeated record when he trade leathers with Mexico's Raul Hirales (22-3-0, 11KO) as he defends his IBF Inter-Continental super bantamweight title and stay on course for a possible world title shot.
Multi-titled amateur Mark 'Magnifico' Magsayo (8-0-0, 6KO) who, with his speed, skills and power, has the potential to take the Philippines by storm, will face Korean trial-horse Moon-Sun Jung (2-3-3) in a 6-round featherweight contest.
An added special attraction is the appearance of WBO and IBF world champion Francisco Rodriguez, the Mexican who dethroned Sabillo, who took a page from compatriot Juan Manuel Marquez by coming here to issue a personal challenge to WBO world champion Donnie Nietes. Rodriguez will face Jomar Fajardo (14-5-1, 7KO) of Binangonan, Rizal in a 10-round junior flyweight bout.
With the stacked card, Cebuano boxing aficionados will have an early Christmas present tonight by most likely witnessing a new boxing record being set and by being entertained with a plethora of boxing matches that, at any other day, each could become a headliner by itself.
The gate opens at 5:00 p.m.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Dong Secuya.
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