Nietes: I lost steam but not will to win

MANILA, Philippines - Donnie Nietes yesterday admitted losing steam in the middle rounds of his title fight against Mexican Ramon Garcia last Saturday at the St. La Salle Coliseum in Bacolod.

But he said it didn’t mean that he lost his will to win.

“Nanghina ako (I felt weak),” the newly crowned WBO light-flyweight champion said over the phone while resting in his hometown of Murcia in Negros Occidental.

Nietes came out strong against the Mexican champion but it appeared he ran out of gas as early as the sixth round of the 12-round title fight held before a big Bacolod crowd.

Until the 10th round, Garcia tried, but failed, to land that one punch that could have ended it all. Nietes hung tough and unleashed a big finish that sealed the victory for him.

“Hindi ko inisip na tumumba dahil nakakahiya sa mga tao (I never thought of going down because it would be embarrassing to the people),” added the 29-year-old Nietes.

He said he started training for the fight last June and may have suffered from a burnout.

“Medyo napaaga nga siguro (It may have been too early),” he said.

Nietes was rewarded a unanimous decision even if a lot of people felt it was too much for the American judges to score it 118-110 and 117-111 in his favor.

Bacolod City Mayor Bing Leonardia, who awarded Nietes the championship belt, said the judges, except for Filipino Danrex Tapdasan (115-113), could have scored the bout a little closer.

“But we welcome the victory. We now have another world champion,” said Leonardia, a regular fixture in all of Manny Pacquiao’s recent fights in the United States.

Nietes said the judges did good because he landed the fewer but clearer punches, and that even if he appeared ready to go, he didn’t take any blow that he couldn’t have handled.

“Fair naman sila,” Nietes told The STAR.

His promoter, Michael Aldeguer, said the former WBO minimumweight champion took seven of the 12 rounds, contrary to what the Mexican claimed in demanding a rematch.

Nietes said he’s open to anything his promoter would want for him, including the possibility of fighting reigning WBA light-flyweight champ Roman Gonzalez of Nicaragua.

Nietes said he knows who Gonzalez is.

 “Alam ko ang laro niya (I know his style),” said the two-time world champion, adding that sometime in 2008 he was in the same card with Gonzalez in Mexico.

For the meantime, however he said he’s enjoying his latest victory and the fact that he’s just the seventh Pinoy boxer to win at least two titles in different weight classes after Dodie Boy and Gerry Penalosa, Luisito Espinosa, Brian Viloria, Nonito Donaire and Pacquiao.

Nietes was asked how he wanted to celebrate his latest victory.

 “Bahala na. Wala pang plano. Wala pang budget eh (Let’s see. There are no plans yet. No budget yet),” he said laughing.