by Ronnie Nathanielsz
The longest reigning Filipino world champion Donnie “Ahas” Nietes, who holds the WBO light flyweight champion, wants to shut the mouth of cocky Mexican challenger Francisco Rodriguez Jr when they clash in the main event of “Pinoy Pride XXXI” on July 4 at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino in Cebu.
Nietes who looked trim and ready at a luncheon news conference yesterday and then worked out at the ALA Gym in Bakete Drive, Quezon City said that he has been training since the first week of April and while he knows Rodriguez who won the WBO minimumweight title with a stunning 9th round knockout of Merlito Sabillo as “a fighter and a boxer who is good and cannot be taken lightly as he throws a lot of punches” will ensure a great fight.
However, Nietes was peeved at the cockiness of Rodriguez and told the New Standard/BoxingScene.com that he would “show him who is the champion when they step into the ring.”
Nietes who had earlier told us he would aim to remain a world champion for ten years after surpassing the record of the late Gabriel “Flash” Elorde who reigned as world junior lightweight champion for almost seven and a half years and the way he feels like now, he may increase that to twelve years because he feels like a 21 year old.
Nietes said Rodriguez can “box or fight although he doesn’t have much power” and that he would adapt to what kind of fight the challenger will bring to the ring.
Trainer Edmund Villamor said if Rodriguez comes to fight “we will engage him but if he decides to run like Nietes’ last opponent Parra and run, we’ll chase him and catch him.”
The three time “Trainer of the Year” at the Annual Flash Elorde Awards said Nietes was “a disciplined fighter who gave us no problems and is capable of lasting as a champion for three more years at least.”
The supporting card will be highlighted by the IBF Youth featherweight championship in which the exciting Mark “Magnifico” Magsayo will face Mexico’s rugged Rafael “Guerrito” Reyes while outstanding amateur Kevin Jake “KJ” Cataraga will make his professional debut against Indonesia’s Aedi “Predator” Tefa in a six round special attraction.