NIETES VOWS KNOCKOUT VICTORY OVER MEXICAN CHALLENGER
By Dong Secuya
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 31 Jan 2009
Cebu City -- WBO minimumweight champion Donnie 'Ahas' Nietes has promised to knock out his Mexican challenger Erik Ramirez when they meet on Feb. 28 at Auditorio Guelaguetza in Oaxaca, Mexico and return to the Philippines with his title belt intact.
Speaking to Philboxing from the ALA Gym headquarters here, Nietes said "we have reviewed tapes of Ramirez's fights. He is a busy fighter and stays in front of you all the time. With coach Edmund (Villamor), we devised a plan on how to counter him effectively."
The unassuming Nietes (23-1-3 14KOs) will be going to Mexico to defend his title at Ramirez's backyard but calmly said, "don't worry, I'll knock him out."
Ramirez (25-5-1 19KOs) who had only fought once outside his country, has won his last 5 bouts, 4 by knockouts, after losing to Lorenzo Trejo on July 13, 2007. He won the WBO Latino minimumweight title via unanimous decision over Jose Ortiz at Baja California Sur in his last bout.
Nietes, whose only blemish was a split-decision loss against Anky Angkota of Indonesia four years ago, won his WBO title belt via unanimous decision over Pornsawan Kratingdaenggym of Thailand on Sep. 30, 2007 at the Waterfront Hotel in Cebu City and successfully defended it by knocking out Eddy Castro of Nicaragua in 2 rounds in August last year also at the Waterfront Hotel.
Nietes, who had already logged more than 100 rounds of sparring, is scheduled to leave for Los Angeles on Feb. 7 with trainer Edmund Villamor and ALA Gym president Michael Aldeguer. While in LA, Nietes will train at Freddie Roach's Wildcard Gym and will spar with Filipino contenders Rodel Mayol and Vernie Torres. Team Nietes will then leave from LA to Mexico one week before the scheduled Feb. 28 fight.
Meanwhile, PhilBoxing correspondent and Texas-based Filipino doctor Allan Recto has been tapped by the ALA Gym to be Nietes's cutman on fight night. Dr. Recto had the cutman job in one of Bernabe Concepcion's fights in the Unites States.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Dong Secuya.
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