NIETES AND SABILLO TAKE THEIR TURN SATURDAY
By Rene Bonsubre, Jr.
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 26 Nov 2013
Nietes (L) and Sabillo.
WBO world light flyweight champ Donnie ?Ahas? Nietes and WBO minimumweight champ Merlito ?Tigre? Sabillo will have a tough act to follow on November 30 when they defend their belts at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
While the rest of the country is still euphoric over Manny Pacquiao?s return to the ring last Sunday, the duo are in their final stages of preparations for the title defenses for the 23rd edition of the Pinoy Pride series.
Nietes? challenger, Sammy Gutierrez of Mexico, arrived with his team in Manila on November 23. Carlos Buitrago and his seconds arrived from Nicaragua one day later.
Nietes (31-1-4, 17KO?s) , who previously held the WBO world minimumweight title, has been a world champ since 2007. Gutierrez (33-9-2, 23 KO's) is a former WBC Silver champion and former WBA interim world minimumweight champion. Sabillo (23-0, 12 KO's) and Buitrago (27-0, 16 KO's) promises to be a crowd pleasing battle between two unbeaten fighters. Both champs train in the ALA gym of Cebu; It will be their turn to dedicate their bouts to their countrymen who had to endure two natural calamities in less than a month span.
The camps of the Latino opponents for the undercard bouts are also here in the country.
Milan Melindo will try to bounce back from his first career loss when he squares off against Jose Alfredo Rodriguez of Mexico. Melindo (29-1, 12 KO?s) lost a unanimous decision to WBO/WBA flyweight champion Juan Francisco Estrada in Macau last July. Rodriguez (29-2, 18 KO?s) is also coming off title losses against WBA jr. flyweight champ Kazuto Ioka of Japan and WBA interim titlist Alberto Rossel of Peru.
Jason Pagara (31-2, 19 KO?s) is coming off a hard fought unanimous decision win over Aaron Herrera last May. His opponent, Vladimir Baez (19-1-2, 17 Ko?s) of the Dominican Republic, scored back to back knockout wins this year against Jose Santos and Jose Manzueta.
AJ Banal (29-2-2, 21 KO?s) will be up against Puerto Rican Lucian Gonzales (16-7-2, 5KO?s).
ALA Promotions emailed philboxing that Team Latinos will have a public work out in SM City Masinag on Wednesday 5pm and Official Press Conference on Thursday, 11 am at Gloria Maris, Gateway. ALA Promotions also informed that tickets for Pinoy Pride XXIII "Filipinos Kontra Latinos" are available at all TicketNet Outlets.
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