Murcia dad confident Nietes can defend title
By Jerome S. Galunan Jr.
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 25 Jun 2015
BACOLOD CITY, Philippines ? With only two weeks to go before the much-awaited fight between the reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) and Ring magazine junior flyweight champion Donnie ?Ahas? Nietes (35-4-1, 21KOs) against Mexican challenger and former unified WBO/International Boxing Federation (IBF) minimumweight world champ Francisco Rodriguez, Jr. (17-2-1,11KO?s), Murcia town Mayor Andrew Montelibano yesterday stressed that he believes that the champion will retain his title.
Both fighters will face each other for the main event of Pinoy Pride 31: Clash of World Champions on July 11 at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino.
?With the kind of conditioning and training he is in, I believe Donnie (Nietes) will retain his title. I am in contact with him personally and I can see he is more ready than ever,? Montelibano said.
Moreover, the town chief executive added that Nietes? stance serves as an inspiration to the young boxers and athletes in Murcia.
Nietes and Rodriquez are earlier set to face July 4 but the latter?s camp asked to move a week later after the Mexican suffered a slight ankle injury.
The 33-year-old Nietes is the longest reigning Filipino world champion and successfully won all his last four fights by stoppage including the 9th round knockout victory against Mexican Gilbert Parra (19-2) last March.
Last year, the Negrense champion also scored two stoppages over Carlos Velarde (26-3-1) of Mexico in November 2014 ? which eventually wrote history as the longest reigning Filipino boxing champion; while halted another Mexican Moises Fuentes (19-1-1) in the 9th round during their second face-off in May 2014.
Despite tagging Nietes as the ?Mexicutioner? following the numerous triumphs he has against his Mexican opponents here and even in Mexico, veteran trainer Edmund Villamor stressed that they are not taking Rodriguez for granted and will be ready for the fight night.
The 21-year-old Rodriguez, on the other hand, also holds an impressive record against Filipino warriors including erstwhile WBO minimumweight champion Merlito ?Tiger? Sabillo of Bacolod City then IBF titlist Japanese Katsunari Takayama in Japan.(WATCHMEN DAILY JOURNAL)
Photo: Murcia Mayor Andrew Montelibano (L) with boxing champion Donnie ?Ahas? Nietes.
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