Bautista, Nietes demolish foes

Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista and Donnie “Ahas” Nietes retained their respective titles with spectacular knockout victories over foreign foes in last Saturday’s “WBO Night of Champions” card at the Waterfront-Cebu City Hotel and Casino.

Bautista stopped Eden “Anestecista” Marquez of Mexico at 1:08 of the second round to keep his WBO Intercontinental super bantamweight crown, while Nietes remained as the WBO minimumweight champion after demolishing the hapless Nicaraguan challenger Eddy “Torito II” Castro at 2:49 also in round two.

Bautista’s rousing triumph brightened his chances to be inserted in the undercard of the December 6 superfight between Manny Pacquiao and Oscar de la Hoya at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Candijay, Bohol-native Bautista now holds a 26-1 win-loss record spiked with 18KOs, while Nietes, who is set to face next mandatory challenger Daniel Reyes of Colombia, improved to 23-1-3 dotted with 14KOs.

In the undercards of the blockbuster show presented by ALA Promotions in association with ABS CBN Sports, WBO Youth lightweight titlist Jason Pagara scored a smashing fourth round stoppage of Thai Kongdej Sithtrajtrakan, while Jomanz Omanz could only salvage a split draw with former WBC International bantamweight king Roger Galicia.

Weng Haya won by majority decision over Ricky Sismundo, while Albert Villacampa defeated Fil-Am JV “Fightdoc” Tuazon by split decision.