CONDITIONING COACH PRAISES AWESOME PERFORMANCE OF NIETES
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 14 Jul 2015
Well known American strength and conditioning coach Nick Curson has praised the awesome performance of WBO light flyweight champion Donnie Nietes who overcame an injured right hand in round seven to score a unanimous twelve round decision over former WBO minimum weight champion and mandatory challenger Francisco Rodriguez at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino in Cebu last Saturday night.
In an overseas telephone conversation with the New Standard/boxingmirror.com, Curson who helped Nietes prepare for the Rodriguez fight just as he handled his strength and conditioning before he scored a smashing 9th round knockout of another Mexican mandatory challenger Moises Fuentes, commended Rodriguez who he said was ?a much better athlete? than most people felt and would ?soon be a world champion.?
Curson said Nietes was methodical and used his experience to advantage and would have probably knocked out the 21 year old Mexican if he didn?t hurt is hand in the 7th round.
He noted that Rodriguez had great hand-speed, footwork and a fighting heart but lacked punching power.
What excited Curson the most were the precise combinations and counter-punches that Nietes connected with and cited ? a three-punch combination? in the middle rounds that was ?simply beautiful.?
Boxing Scene?s managing editor Cliff Rold in a post fight assessment said the Nietes-Rodriguez bout was ?the best fight of the weekend? where boxing fans ?got a fair fight, a fair decision, skill and plenty of leather.?
Rold noted that ?the best of Nietes looks to be happening right now and the 21 year old Rodriguez lost to the best junior flyweight in the world.?
Photo: Conditiong coach Nick Curson (L) with Nietes.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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