RODRIGUEZ TRAINS SECRETLY IN MANILA TWO WEEKS BEFORE HIS TITLE FIGHT WITH NIETES
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 04 Jul 2015
Rodriguez.
Mandatory challenger Francisco ?Chihuas? Rodriguez (17-2-1, 11 KOs) arrived in Manila in the early morning hours of Monday, checked in with his trainer at a hotel in Malate and began training on Tuesday afternoon at the Elorde Gym on Taft Avenue.
The New Standard/boxingmirror.com were alerted to the plan of Rodriguez and his team to travel to the Philippines last Sunday which was two weeks ahead of his title fight against Donnie ?Ahas? Nietes (35-1-4, 21 KOs) for the WBO flyweight championship on July 11 at the Waterfront Hotel Casino in Cebu City.
We were able to track him down through contacts in the boxing business and to watch him train for more than two hours during which he did a total of ten rounds including shadow boxing, punching the heavy bag and five rounds on the punch-mitts.
Rodriguez showed hand-speed, good footwork and head movement in slipping punches and on occasions switched to a southpaw stance as he let loose with rapid-fire combinations on the punch-mitts with trainer Carlos Gonzales and ripped into the heavy bag with power punches. He also has a strength and conditioning coach and a cutman Jose Becerril and Raul Garcia Gonzales.
According to his trainer/manager Jose Antonio Hernandez, Rodriguez has trained for two months and sparred with WBC/IBF No. 10 Saul Juarez and Armando Torres and is in perfect condition both physically and mentally and has no problem with making the weight considering he had moved up from minimum weight to flyweight.
He said Rodriguez had ?very good sparring and he?s in good condition.?
He said Rodriguez suffered a slight ankle injury which necessitated a one week postponement of the fight but that ?he?s fine and we have no problems.? He conceded that Nietes ?is a good champion but Francisco will win and realize his dream of becoming a three-division world champion.?
Trainer Carlos Gonzales said ?most Mexicans come here to fight. Francisco comes here to win and we are confident he will end the long-running record of Nietes.?
The early arrival of Rodriguez in order to get acclimatized provided fight fans a glimpse of how seriously he?s pursuing the quest to become the first fighter to beat the longest reigning Filipino world champion.
Rodriguez, a former IBF/WBO minimum weight champion, who won the minimum weight title beating Nietes? good friend and stablemate Merlito ?Tiger? Sabillo via a 10th round TKO and retained his title in a classic ?Fight of the Year? unification battle with Japan?s fearless WBC champion Katsunari Takayama has prompted Nietes to train harder than ever before.
Nietes has vowed to avenge the loss of his good friend and stablemate Sabillo.
Nietes who was also the WBO minimum weight champion before moving up and winning the light flyweight title against Raul Garcia Hirales in Bacolod City will be making the 12th defense of his crown against Rodriguez. He won the minimum weight title on September 30, 2007, and now has the longest world title run in Filipino history having surpassed the reord set by the late great Gabriel ?Flash? Elorde who reigned as world junior lightweight champion foe almost seven and a half years.
There?s been tremendous interest generated in the Nietes title defense after the Filipino appeared peeved by the cocky stance of Rodriguez and vowed to shut his mouth.
In a forum post on Fight News, David John Trehane of Bangkok said ?eight years holding and defending a world title is tremendous. If only a bigger fight was available to showcase his talent. A fight with WBC champion Wanheng Menayothin of Thailand would be a real treat for boxing fans. Maybe even in a third country like Macau. Boxing is in need of fights like this.?
Brad Stemp commented, ?I think this will be a terrific fight. Very real chance of an upset ro end the wonderful reign of Nietes.?
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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