DONNIE NIETES: BEYOND THE NUMBERS
By Rene Bonsubre, Jr.
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 08 Dec 2014
Six years ago Donnie ?Ahas? Nietes would walk around a crowded mall in Cebu and no one would notice.
He would sit in a corner while photographers and fans gathered around his more popular stable mates during public workouts and official weigh-ins for big boxing events. When the crowd started to leave, only a few sportswriters noticed he was there. He was already into his first year as a world champion, but without his pet snake around his neck, he remained anonymous.
Nietes steadily built his legacy by defending his WBO minimumweight title three times in Mexico. This made him unique among the Filipino world champions. This feat was capped by his unanimous decision victory against Mario Rodriguez in 2010.
The win against Rodriguez showed why Nietes is hard to beat. Worn out by the punishing heat of Gusave in Sinaloa, Nietes relied on heart and veteran smarts to hang on to his wide lead. He would show this quality again and again enroute to winning the WBO light flyweight title from Ramon Garcia Hirales of Mexico in 2011. He is not always spectacular even on home ground but Nietes always finds a way to win.
Nietes will break the seven year three month barrier established by the great Flash Elorde when the clock signals the beginning of 2015.
This is another jewel in his legacy.
Elorde?s reign remains the world record as far as the junior lightweight division is concerned. Nietes, in two weight divisions ? 105 and 108 - will get the Philippine record as the champion with the longest uninterrupted reign.
So how does Donnie?s record stack up against other world records in the minimumweight and light flyweight categories?
The world record for the longest reign in the light flyweight division alone is six years and it belongs to Myung-Woo Yuh of South Korea who was WBA champion from 1985 to 1991. Yuh would lose and regain his title from Hiroki Ioka of Japan and retired in 1992 as champion.
As far as the minimumweight category is concerned, Mexican great Ricardo Lopez reigned as the 105lb champion of the WBC for eight years from 1990 to 1998 and added the WBO and WBA belts along the way of making a record 21 title defenses.
Lopez would go up and rule as IBF light flyweight champion from 1999 to 2001 before retiring undefeated 51W-0L-1D,38KO?s. His eleven year dominance remains the gold standard for boxers fighting below flyweight.
Another point for comparison would be the great Joe Louis, who was heavyweight champion for 11 years and 7 months.
For the past seven years, Nietes has beaten ten Mexican boxers. He doesn?t go around bragging about it and the statistic often escapes the minds of fans and pundits when the boxing rivalry between the Philippines and Mexico is being discussed.
It was fitting that he made his November defense against Mexican Carlos Velarde at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel, the site where he won the vacant WBO 105lb division world title against Porsawan Porpramook of Thailand last September 30, 2007. The TKO win against Velarde enabled Nietes to obtain the record of longest reigning Filipino world champ.
For the past four years, the 32 year old Nietes (34W-1L-4D, 20KO?s) has fought here in the Philippines and that has made him more recognizable to the casual fight fans.
He is not the most popular boxer in the country and he is not a pay per view attraction, but he has conducted himself well as a champion both inside and outside the ring. He is financially secure and credit goes to ALA Promotions and the ALA Gym in the way they guide their boxers.
Nietes is planning to move up to flyweight and go for a triple crown.
He would also be a favored against any challenger if he opts to stay longer at light flyweight.
But more important than records and numbers, the former janitor from Murcia, Negros Occidental has quietly shown the value of humility and perseverance.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rene Bonsubre, Jr..
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