NIETES SET TO BREAK ELORDE'S RECORD
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 17 Nov 2014
Donnie ''Ahas'' Nietes is on the verge of rewriting Philippine sports history after winning over Mexico?s Carlos ''Chapito'' Velarde at the main event of Pinoy Pride 28 last Saturday. A cut in the eye of the challenger due to an accidental headbutt forced the corner of Velarde to throw in the towel and the referee stopped the fight at the start of round 8. This allows Nietes to extend his WBO light flyweight title reign and prolong his reign as a champion to 7 years, 1 month and 15 days. The 32-year-old Ilonggo will be able to break Gabriel ''Flash'' Elorde?s Philippine record of 7 years and 3 months as world champion by January 1, 2015.
Nietes first won the vacant WBO world minimumweight title against Pornsawan Porpramook of Thailand by unanimous decision at the Waterfront Hotel, Cebu City on September 30, 2007. He had since successfully defended it against Eddy Castro, Erik Ramirez, Manuel Vargas, and Mario Rodriguez. He moved up to win the WBO world light-flyweight title by unanimous decision over Ramon Garcia Hirales of Mexico in Bacolod City on October 8, 2011. He maintained the WBO belt by defeating Felipe Salguero, Moises Fuentes twice, Sammy Gutierrez, and Carlos Velarde.
Elorde won the world super featherweight title on March 16, 1960 by knocking out the defending world champion American Harold Gomes in seven rounds. Thus, Elorde ended the country?s 20-year world boxing championship drought. The crowd of around 30,000, inside the newly built Araneta Coliseum, broke into pandemonium when Gomes was floored on his knees at the one minute and 50 seconds of the seventh round. It was twenty years since Ceferino Garcia, also known as "bolo punch", lost his middleweight title he reigned as champion until 1940.
Elorde floored Gomes in the second round with a right hook to the head. The Filipino challenger knocked down the 25-year-old Gomes again in the third and in the fifth. At the start of the seventh, the Bogo native hammered him with a flurry of punches to the head and to the jaw that sent him down once again. Gomes got up but went down again after receiving a combination of lefts and rights. Referee Barney Ross counted him out. When Gomes got up, he approached Elorde?s corner and whispered: ?It was a good fight.?
Elorde defended the crown 10 times until June 15, 1967 when he lost his title by a majority decision to Yoshiaki Numata of Japan. This made him the longest reigning world junior lightweight champion and likewise the most number of years for a Filipino world titlist.
Elorde also challenged Carlos Ortiz for the world lightweight title twice. He was stopped both times by Ortiz by knockout in the 14th round. Nietes succeeded where Elorde failed as the Murcia native was able to rule two weight categories.
When Elorde retired his record was 88 wins (33 KOs), 27 losses and 2 draws. He is considered the greatest super featherweight (junior lightweight) champion of all time in WBC history. As of now, Nietes has a slate of 34 wins (20 KOs), 1 loss and 4 draws.
Nietes already has a place in the country's sports history and a possible international boxing hall of fame.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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