By Ed de la Vega, DDS PhilBoxing.com Fri, 02 Oct 2015
LOS ANGELES -- WBO Light Flyweight Champion Donnie ?Ahas? Nietes of the famed ALA Boxing Gym in Cebu moments ago arrived at Los Angeles international airport exactly three weeks and two days ahead of his title defense against Juan ?Pinky? Alejo of Mexico at the Stub Hub Center in Carson, CA.
Arriving with the world champ is his trainer, multi-awarded boxing trainer Edmund Villamor.
Aside from looking forward to more or less 20 more rounds of sparring in Los Angeles, some of the rounds expected against former world champion, Brian Viloria who will also fight for a title in New York against the Nicaraguan ?chocolate? Roman Gonzalez on the GGG-Lemeiux undercard in New York on the same day Nietes fights at Stub Hub, Nietes will be busy participating in pre-fight activities such as the Media Day at the Fortune Gym on Saturday afternoon and the ?Meet and Greet? activities arranged by the ALA Promotions and ABS-CBN/TFC at different shopping complexes around the cities of Carson and Cerritos to hype the fight this weekend.
Nietes? arrival was pleasantly understated compared to the grandiose and ruckus events when Manny Pacquiao arrives in LA. Only a handful of fans came to welcome him back to LA.
But it was poignant considering that those who came are really the true die-hard boxing fans that would not hesitate to spend time, efforts and resources just to meet their hero. They are a far cry from the ?PacNuts? who know nothing about boxing and are mere band-wagoner?s.
Of course, it goes without saying that arrangements will be made with Team ALA to allow us to fabricate a custom mouthguard for Nietes much like the ones the Pagara brothers and Mark Magsayo had done for their fights in the Nietes-Alejo undercard.
We already have a mouthguard color picked for him:- his favorite-purple!
Nietes and trainer Edmund Villamor pose at the Tom Bradley International Airport (LAX) upon their arrival in Los Angeles Friday.
Nietes signs glove for boxing fan Mark Alidio of Woodland Hills, CA who took time out to greet Nietes upon his arrival.
Video of Nietes' arrival, courtesy of Jhay Otamias:
