Nietes cops WBO belt, decisions tough Thai

Unheralded Negros native Donnie Nietes fashioned out a unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Pornsawan Kratingdaenggym of Thailand to capture the WBO minimumweight crown at the Waterfront Hotel in Cebu City late Sunday night.

Nietes showed great defensive skills to frustrate the hard-hitting Pornsawan in the early going then came through with a combination of head and body shots capped by a powerful straight to the jaw that floored the Thai fighter.

But the game Pornsawan came charging back in the fifth, taking the fight inside with relentless punching to jar the Filipino fighter.

Pornsawan continued to pressure Nietes in the sixth round with non-stop punching that rarely hit their target although those prevented Nietes from coming up with counterpunches.

Nietes (22-1-0 13 KOs) changed tactics in the closing rounds by backpedalling while unleashing a combination of punches to hold off the aggressive Pornsawan.

The Thai took a one-point deduction in the 10th round for low blows after several warnings.

Filipino ring judge Salven Lagumbay scored it 116-110, Levi Martinez of the US, 115-111, and Sawaeng Taweekoon of Thailand, 114-113, all for Nietes.

Nietes’s victory capped a successful evening for the ALA Boys as he joined the exclusive group of reigning Filipino world champions headed by Florante Condes (minimumweight, IBF), Nonito Donaire Jr. (flyweight, IBF, IBO) and Gerry Peñalosa (bantamweight, WBO).

Top superfly prospect and rising star AJ “Bazooka” Banal made short work of Mexican super flyweight champion Esau Gaona with a first round demolition topped by three knockdowns to capture the WBO youth super flyweight title.

Robert Allanic successfully defended his WBO Asia-Pacific bantamweight crown over In Suk Song of Korea via an 11th round TKO.

Rocky Fuentes retained his Philippine flyweight title by outpointing top contender Danilo Lerio over 12 rounds.

Another ALA prospect, super featherweight James Bacon, fighting in his second professional fight, sent Roldan Sayson of Cagayan de Oro to the stretchers with a third round TKO. Bacon and Sayson exchanged knocked downs in the second round.