UNUSUAL INCIDENTS IN NIETES TITLE DEFENSE
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 17 Aug 2010
Some unusual incidents took place during WBO minimum weight champion Donnie Nietes? title defense against hometown boy Mario Rodriguez in Sinaloa, Mexico on Sunday.
The first unusual incident that insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports learned about was that both boxers were not given urine tests after the fight which is mandatory.
Given the circumstances there were legitimate concerns over Nietes? previous title defense also in Mexico against Manuel ?Chango? Vargas which the Filipino champion won by a split decision. Vargas was the same fighter who was tested after his 4th round knockout loss to Nonito ?The Filipino Flash? Donaire and found to have used an illegal substance in a fight at the Las Vegas Hilton last February 13.
It was also evident that despite the battering he took from Nietes and his bloodied face, Rodriguez took the beating without backing off and appeared to be groggy only once when he was nailed with a vicious uppercut in round seven.
Insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports also learned that they used second hand gloves for the title fight and they were not the Cleto Reyes gloves which had been specified for the title fight.
Most boxing observers noted that these are the hazards Nietes has to face when he fights in Mexico and this is what makes the victory even greater.
It was earlier reported by international matchmaker/promoter Sampson ?Picasso? Lewkowicz that the almost unbearable heat in the ring was around 115-120 degrees which caused the fighters to slip on the canvas because of the humidity.
Trainer Edito ?Ala? Villamor told us that Nietes was sweating profusely in his dressing room and didn?t even have an electric fan although Rodriguez did have one in his dressing room.
Despite all the hazards a superbly conditioned Nietes dominated the fight in the first eight rounds and although he visibly wilted in the last couple of rounds held on to win by a wide margin.
Nietes returns home via Los Angeles on the 5:30 a.m. Wednesday. flight of Philippine Airlines.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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