NIETES NOW WAITING FOR HIRALES GARCIA IN BACOLOD
By Salven L. Lagumbay
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 16 Sep 2011
CEBU CITY--Former WBO minimumweight champion Donnie Nietes is now on his way to Bacolod City, and within a few hours should step into Sugarlandia signifying his readiness to challenge and take on WBO light flyweight kingpin Ramon Hirales Garcia on October 8 at the University of St. La Salle Gymnasium.
In a message to Cebu media last night at the swanky Harold's Hotel in Cebu, Nietes, who vacated his WBO 105-b title to take on Hirales Garcia, announced that he will be making the trek today along with some ALA fighters to Bacolod, where he will continue his training under Edmund Villamor.
"I am ready for this fight. I have prepared long and hard in the gym. I am excited and this is dream come true for me to fight in front of my countrymen," Nietes stressed.
Nietes was accompanied last night to the press conference by ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer and fighters AJ 'Bazooka' Banal, Arthur Villanueva and Merlito Sabillo.
ALA Promotions vice-president Dennis Canete and marketing/publicity head Chad Canares informed that Nietes and the group are set to depart early this morning and should be in the City of Smiles in the afternoon. They also informed that ALA Promotion is now on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/ALA-Boxing/129482187148282?ref=ts&sk=wall) and Twitter and that ALA Promotions is planning on having a pay-per-view feed of the Nietes-Hirales Garcia fight on select cinemas and establishments in Cebu City.
Aldeguer, meanwhile, informed the press that the Mexican group will most likely arrive in Manila on Sept. 19 or 21 to allow their fighter to acclimatize to Philippine weather.
Nietes vs Hirales Garcia topbills "Pinoy Pride 9: World Championship" presented by ALA Promotions and ABS-CBN Sports.
Tomorrow, Pinoy Pride 9 will be officially launched at the SM City in Bacolod at 5PM. The official/final press conference for the fight will be held on October 6 at the L'Fisher Hotel while the official weigh-in takes place 12 noon on October 7 at SM City Bacolod.
The chief support pits AJ "Bazooka" Banal taking on undefeated Mexican Mario Briones for the prestigious WBO Asia Pacific bantamweight championship. WBO Vice President Leon Panoncillo, who supervised the Manny Pacquiao-Shane Mosley battle, is scheduled to supervise this fight along with the Nietes-Hirales Garcia showdown.
Local boy Arthur Villanueva goes up against Shaaban Madilu of Kenya in an 8-round bout, while Merlito Sabillo of Bacolod City will face Tejares Singwancha of Baguio City for the vacant OPBF minimmumweight championship.
Also set to see action is Prince Albert Pagara of Maasin City against Richard Donaire of General Santos City.
In a special bout, crowd favorite Jun Intor of Mabinay, Negros Occidental will take on Gen San's Gilbert Garciano while JP Artieda of Bacolod trades leathers with Kazuya Harada of Japan.
The curtain-raiser pits Reymund Tabogon of Cagayan de Oro City against Tagbilaran's Lito Dante.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Salven L. Lagumbay.
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