WATCH A RIVETING PRE-FIGHT PRIMER ON ?PINOY PRIDE XXXI? ON PBO-SKY CABLE AT 8:30 TONIGHT
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 04 Jul 2015
There?s so much excitement and interest in ?Pinoy Pride XXXI? when WBO light flyweight champion Donnie ?Ahas? Nietes defends his title against former minimum weight champion and mandatory challenger Francisco Rodriguez that Viva Sports produced a special on its top-rating weekly boxing show ?The Main Event? to be telecast at 8:30 tonight on Pinoy Box Office (PBO) over Sky Cable nationwide.
Exclusive footage of Nietes training at the ALA Gym along Balate Drive in Quezon City and highlights of his sparring with promising young amateur KJ Cataraja who will be making his pro debut on July 11 as well as Nietes? tough strength and conditioning routine are all featured on the show which also provides a glimpse of undefeated Mark ?Magnifico? Magsayo and his sparring with unbeaten featherweight Ralph Lulu.
Interviews with Nietes who says he wants to avenge the loss of his good friend and stablemate Merlito ?Tiger? Sabillo who lost his title to Rodriguez via a 10th round TKO and effectively shut the mouth of the cocky Rodriguez, strength and conditioning coach Nick Curson and trainer Edmund Villamor are also featured on the show together with a flashback to the spectacular 9th round knockout of mandatory challenger Moises Fuentes in a rematch with Nietes that stunned legendary Mexican Marco Antonio Barrera who had predicted Fuentes would win.
Fight fans will be able to judge just how how good Rodriguez is when ?The Main Event? shows glimpses of his fights with former minimum weight world champion Manuel ?Chango? Vrgas, Victor Ruiz and a truly exciting showdown with undefeated Nicaraguan flyweight champion Roman ?Chocolatito? Gonzalez who won by a 7th round TKO in what the manager/trainer of Rodriguez ? ?Charro? Hernandez clained was a premature stoppage.
Viva Sports was able to watch Rodriguez train at the Elorde Gym on Taft Avenue and were impressed by the fact that he was in great condition as he went through a routine that lasted more than two hours.
Rodriguez showed good hand-speed, footwork and head movement that enabled him to slip punches and as he went through five rounds on the punch-mitts he occasionally switched to a southpaw stance.
His trainer told us that while he respects Nietes as a fine champion who hits harder than Rodriguez he maintained that the Mexican will fulfill his dream of becoming a three division world champion with a victory over the longest reigning Filipino world champion ? Nietes.
He emphasized that ?Mexicans come here to fight. Rodriguez comes here to win.?
Highlights of Rodriguez training will be included in the July 11 episode of ?The Main Event? which will be telecast before the Nietes-Rodriguez title fight.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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