NIETES READY TO WAGE WAR AGAINST COCKY FRANCISCO RODRIGUEZ
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 07 Jun 2015
Nietes spars.
A trim and ready WBO light flyweight champion Donnie ?Ahas" Nietes, the longest reigning Filipino world champion is ready to wage war against the cocky mandatory challenger and former WBO/IBF minimum weight champion Francisco Rodriguez when they clash in the stellar attraction of ?Pinoy Pride XXXI? at the plush Waterfront Hotel and Casino in Cebu on July 4.
Nietes looked terrific in sparring all week going ten rounds twice and winding up with a four round session against former outstanding amateur flyweight Kevin Jake ?KJ? Cataraja who will make his pro debut on the undercard against Indonesia?s Ardi ?Predator? Tefa over six rounds.
Nietes showed excellent hand-speed, footwork and head movement and caught Cataraja with some ripping counter punches but laid off because he didn?t want to hurt the youngster who he believes is a genuine prospect with both speed and power.
Nietes told the New Standard/boxingmirror.com that he is in fine condition and ready to wage war in the ring even as he sounded peeved, pointing out that Rodriguez was ?mayabang/cocky? and he not only wants to teach him a lesson in the ring but also avenge the loss of his good friend and stablemate Merlito Sabillo who lost his title to Rodriguez by a 10th round TKO on March 22, 2014.
However, Nietes conceded that he had to give Rodriguez respect as a world champion whom he described as ?a good fighter and a boxer who throws a lot of punches? although Nietes added, ?I don?t think he has much power.?
Trainer Edmund Villamor who is a three-time winner of ?Trainer of the Year? at the ?Flash? Elorde Annual Awards said they had studied video tapes of Rodriguez and know what to do.
He said the Mexican can be a fighter or a runner and is a technical boxer but said ?we are ready for anything he brings into the ring. If he fights we will counter and drop him and if he runs we?ll catch him.?
Well known strength and conditioning coach Nick Curson who is back in the country and working with the fighters on the ALA Promotions blockbuster card presented in cooperation with the giant broadcast network ABS-CBN to be telecast on July 5 at 10:00 a.m. on Channel 2 said ?if Donnie?s opponent comes to fight we will have a great fight.?
Curson said he expects Nietes to display the same deadly form he showed when he scored a spectacular 9th round knockout of talented and tough Mexican challenger Moises Fuentes whom he dropped three times in the ninth round last October 4, 2014 after being held to a majority draw in their first encounter on March 2, 2013.
Curson told us "I expect a fight very much like the Fuentes rematch? even as he noted that Nietes has had ?a tremendous step up in stamina and looks really good.?
He said the ?work that we?ve done since then has made it much easier to get Donnie back in shape. In the Fuentes fight he threw 45 punches a round but in his last fight (against Carlos Velarde) when we tried some new weapons he threw 75 punches a round.?
He revealed that prior to the Fuentes rematch there was ?a lack of flexibility in Donnie?s shoulder and we rectified that.?
Curson commended Nietes for ?responding very well? to a tough training regimen even as he pointed out that the Fuentes fight was ?a perfect example of what I?d like to see ? so precise in execution of skill? similar to the Brazilian MMA fighter he trains.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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