NANTAPECH BANKS ON HIS YOUTH TO PULL AN UPSET OVER NIETES
By Dong Secuya
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 26 Apr 2017
CEBU ? Thai contender Komgrich Nantapech who arrived here Tuesday night from Thailand, is banking on his youth to upset Filipino boxing legend Donnie 'Ahas' Nietes when they meet this Saturday at the Waterfront Hotel & Casino for the vacant IBF world flyweight championship, the main event of 'Pinoy Pride 40' the highly successful boxing series staged by ALA Promotions and TV network giant ABS-CBN.
?Nietes is old,? Nantapech told members of the Cebu media who interviewed him at The Saloon Bar & Grill at the plush MS Seaside City Wednesday. Nietes who held the WBO minimumweight and light flyweight belts in the last 10 years, will turn 35 next month while Nantapech is at the peak of his career at age 27.
Nantapech was accompanied here by his manager Jimmy Chaichotchuang and English trainer Rian Munton who are back on familiar grounds as they are the same team who brought Fahlan Sakkreerin Jr faced and lost to Milan Melindo on Nov. 26, 2016 for the IBF Interim world light flyweight crown.
Aside from age advantage however, Munton revealed that they have a concrete plan on how to defeat Nietes. ?I've been watching and studying Nietes's fights on video, his old fights as well as his latest fights. He's a good boxer. But like any other boxer, Nietes has his weakness and we plan to exploit that weakness,? Munton said.
Additionally, Munton said Thailand boxing is currently riding on the colossal victory Srisaket Sor Rungvisai over previously unbeaten and No. 1 pound for pound boxer on the planet Roman Gonzalez of Nicaragua last March 17 at the Madison Square Garden in New York.
?I watched that fight in person and I couldn't believed it happened,? Munton said. ?Now if you go to any boxing gym in Thailand, everyone is inspired. Everyone believed that it can be done. So now we come here with a purpose.?
Komgrich Nantapech (C) poses with his manager Jimmy Chaichotchuang (L) and trainer Rian Munton (R) during their appearance with the Cebu media at The Saloon Bar & Grill at SM Seaside City in Cebu Wednesday afternoon.
Whether these factors will translate into victory for Nantapech over Nietes, will be known this Saturday. The fact however is that Nantapech's resume totally lacks the glitter that will somehow lead us to believe that he even deserves to be in the same ring with Nietes. Nantapech has yet to win a regional title belt and he had losses to Albert Pagara (2nd round KO), Sho Ishida and Froilan Saludar. Although he had 15 consecutive victories after the Saludar loss in Oct. 2013, these were against lightly regarded opponents with a combined record of 144 wins and 143 losses. Nietes meanwhile, since capturing the WBO minimumweight title in 2007, fought and defeated six world champions and fought with top contenders and world title challengers who had a combined record of 402 wins against 62 losses.
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