NIETES FIGHTS FOR HIS PLACE IN HISTORY
By Rene Bonsubre, Jr.
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 24 Mar 2011
Donnie Nietes is not a charismatic individual. He rarely comes up with clever quotables and he does not draw attention to himself in public. He also became champion during a time when this country produced stars that shone brighter.
Winning three title defenses on Mexican soil would have merited more attention and appreciation from the mainstream sports media and casual fans if Nietes fought during the pre-Manny Pacquiao era. It would have been really spectacular back then when the Philippines churned out one hit wonders.
Another recent quirk of fate was when Nietes received the Athlete of the Year Award from Cebu sportswriters on the same weekend that Nonito Donaire knocked out Fernando Montiel. The ?Filipino Flash? became the toast of Philippine boxing and was followed by a whirlwind of media attention while ?Ahas? once again was relegated to being a second stringer.
It?s a no-brainer that in the next few weeks, articles concerning Nietes? next fight will be overshadowed by Pacquiao?s preparations for Sugar Shane Mosley.
Even the harshest critics of the ALA Gym tend to ignore his string of successes and conveniently forget where Nietes learned his basics and mastered his trade.
But the best thing about Nietes is that he has stayed way from any scandal or controversy. That says something about the values being taught at the ALA gym but it says a lot more about Donnie Nietes, the man.
Last year, Nietes talked about chasing the 7 year and 3 month record of Gabriel ?Flash? Elorde. Nietes is now 28 years old. Some fight pundits cannot help but wonder if he can continue fighting at 105 lbs for the next four years even if he is a well disciplined athlete.
But Nietes (27W-1L-3D, 15 KO?s) is fighting at a different time when there are multiple sanctioning bodies. Boxers who win multiple titles are the ones who get more attention. He has not officially relinquished his title but is eyeing the winner of the WBO interim light flyweight title fight between Jesus Geles and Ramon Garcia Hirales. He also has Ring magazine lt. flyweight champion Giovani Segura in his sights.
The WBO minimumweight champ has been in Metro Manila since March 21, appearing in various sports programs and variety shows. He is promoting his homecoming fight in Bacolod City on April 9, 2011 at the St. La Salle Coliseum; dubbed as PINOY PRIDE 5: BATTLE OF CHAMPIONS where he will figure in a non-title light flyweight battle against Mexico's Armando Vasquez.
Nietes is now more comfortable talking in front of the cameras and the media. But what he continues to do very well is win. He may not be the boxer that ushered in the unprecedented rise of Philippine boxing. But slowly but surely, he has become an integral part of Pinoy boxing.
If he continues to win, who knows what boxing historians will say about him decades from now?
THE STORY SO FAR:
DONNIE NIETES? CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Turned pro April 24, 2003 ? W UD 6 Walter Suaybaguio in San Fernando, Cebu
May 22, 2004 ? wins Philippine Boxing Federation title TKO 1 Joseph Villasis, in Mandaue City, Cebu
Lone career loss September 28, 2004 ? in 13th pro fight to Anky Angkota by split decision in Jakarta, Indonesia.
September 24, 2006 ? wins vacant WBO Asia-Pacific minimumweight title, KO 2 Heri Amol, in Mandaue City
September 30, 2007 ? wins vacant WBO world minimumweight title, W UD 12 Pornsawan Porpramook of Thailand , at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel
August 30, 2008 ? KO 2 Eddy Castro of Nicaragua, wins first title defense at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel
February 28, 2009 ? W UD 12 Erik Ramirez in Oaxaca, Mexico.
- Nietes becomes second Filipino to successfully defend world title in Mexico after Luisito Espinosa (1996).
September 12, 2009 ? W SD 12 Manuel Vargas in Nayarit, Mexico
January 23, 2010 ? W TKO 10 Jesus Silvestre of Mexico (non-title fight), Cuneta Astrodome, Pasay City
August 14,2010 ? W UD 12 Mario Rodriguez ? wins fourth title defense, third defense on Mexican soil in Guasave, Sinaloa.
COMPARISONS WITH SOME OF THE PAST FILIPINO CHAMPS
At the end of March 2011, Nietes? reign as WBO 10b lb division world champion will run for 3 years and six months. It will surpass the WBC featherweight title reign of Luisito Espinosa by one month making Nietes the second longest reigning Philippine world champion.
Espinosa (47W-13L, 26 KO?s) however, had seven successful title defenses before losing to Cesar Soto in a rematch. Espinosa also reigned as WBA bantamweight champion from 1989-1991.
Gabriel ?Flash? Elorde (89W-27L-2D, 33 KO?s) ? undisputed world junior lightweight champion from March 16, 1960 - June 15, 1967, 10 successful title defenses.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rene Bonsubre, Jr..
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