RODRIGUEZ IS HUNGRY FOR VICTORY; NIETES DETERMINED TO RETAIN HIS TITLE
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 07 Jul 2015
The trainer of Francisco Rodriguez, the WBO light flyweight mandatory challenger and former minimum weight champion, says he is ?very hungry? for victory against champion Donnie ?Ahas? Nietes when they clash in a much-awaited showdown at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino on Saturday.
But three-time ?Trainer of the Year? at the Annual ?Flash? Elorde awards Edmund Villamor is confident that a determined Nietes will retain his title and extend his run as the longest reigning Filipino world champion who has held the crown for almost eight years.
Rodriguez who arrived quietly in Manila over one week ago has been working out at the Elorde Gym along Taft Avenue and will leave for Cebu on the 8th.
His tranier Charlie Martinez described the former minimum weight champion as ?one of the best all round fighters in the world who is very hungry? to win the title from Nietes which would be his third world title in two weight divisions.
Villamor isn?t impressed by talk. He told the New Standard/boxingmirro.com ?let?s see what happens when he gets into the ring with Donnie who has trained hard and is in terrific condition and ready as ever.?
Villamor believes the power of Nietes who dropped talented former mandatory challenger Moises Fuentes three-times in the 9th round to score a a spectacular knockout will prove too much for the 21 year old Mexican challenger.
Nietes himself told us he is determined to ?avenge the loss of my friend and stablemate (Merlito ?Tiger? Sabillo who lost his WBO minimum weight title by a 10th round TKO to Rodriguez). I know he is a champion and is good but he is cocky and we?ll see inside the ring.?
Nietes has trained for this fight since the first week of April and said that while Rodriguez may be good, ?he is not a puncher? which even manager/trainer Jose Antonio Hernandez conceded but he is quick and had good footwork.
Nietes? strength and conditioning coach Nick Curson noted that the champion has ?stepped up his endurance and from 45 punches a round in the Fuentes fight he stepped up to 75 punches in his title defense against Gilberto Parra? who retired in the 9th round.
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