PINOY PRIDE 5: THE CHAMP'S HOMECOMING
By Rene Bonsubre, Jr.
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 10 Mar 2011
Donnie 'Ahas' Nietes.
WBO minimumweight champion Donnie ?Ahas? Nietes will fight before his hometown fans in Bacolod City's La Salle Coliseum this April 9, 2011 against Mexico's Armando Vasquez. This fight is a non-title bout which will start Nietes' campaign at light flyweight and his quest for a second world title.
ALA Promotions President and CEO Michael Aldeguer clarified that Nietes has not yet relinquished his world title. ?Nietes is still WBO minimumweight champion, we haven't given up the title in writing. He will be giving up his title once he fights for the 108 lb division title. He is scheduled to fight the winner of the fight between WBO interim champion Ramon Garcia Hirales and Jesus Geles after ninety days of their April 30 bout.?
Hirales is known to Pinoy fight fans having beaten Johnriel Casimero by split decision last year for the interim title. The WBO lt. flyweight title crown belongs to Giovani Segura of Mexico, who is scheduled to fight a rematch against Ivan Calderon of Puerto Rico.
?We know that they also plan to move up in weight,? Aldeguer said, ?If Nietes wins the interim title and the world crown is vacated he will be recognized as the legitimate 108 lb division world champion. He could also fight either Segura or Calderon. WBO Pres. Paco Valcarcel has acknowledged Nietes as a great champion of the WBO and stated that Nietes will be fighting for a second world title.?
Nietes (27W-1L-3D, 15 KO?s) said that he is excited to fight on home soil once again after winning three times Mexico. But he said it doesn?t really matter if the crowd is friendly or not, what matters is what happens inside the ring. Nietes said he has retained his speed even if he is now in a division that is three pounds heavier.
Vasquez (18W-5L, 4 KO?s) won by third round TKO in his last fight against Horacio Sanchez. He has yet to fight outside of Mexico.
L-R: Trainer Edmund Villamor, Nietes, ALA President Michael Aldeguer and ALA Vice-President Dennis Canete at today's presscon at the Diamond Suites & Residences along Escario St. in Cebu City announcing Nietes's next fight. Photo by Dong Secuya.
Trainer Edmund Villamor said that they will still work on Nietes speed and combination punching. ?But he can do everything we ask of him.? Villamor said. Nietes acknowledged that he still lacks one punch power. But he is confident in moving up to 108 and even plans of fighting up to 115.
The card is billed as PINOY PRIDE 5: BATTLE OF CHAMPIONS. Also scheduled to fight in Bacolod City are ALA boxers Roli Gasca and Jason Pagara and Lorenzo Villanueva of the Braveheart Stable.
Ala Promotions also announced that Raul Garcia of Mexico, who holds the WBO interim minimumweight title is scheduled to fight Rommel Asenjo of the Braveheart Stable this April 30.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rene Bonsubre, Jr..
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