Finally, recognition for Nietes

WBO lightflyweight champion Donnie (Ahas) Nietes broke into the top 100 pound-for-pound ratings by The Ring Magazine at No. 69 and is out to prove he deserves the citation in staking his crown against Mexico’s Sammy Gutierrez in the main event of a blockbuster Pinoy Pride card at the Araneta Coliseum tomorrow night.

Nietes, 31, has quietly remained in the shadow of Filipino superstars Manny Pacquiao, Nonito Donaire Jr. and Brian Viloria even as the Bacolod fighter became a world champion in 2007 and is threatening to surpass Flash Elorde’s record of a seven-year reign on the throne. As a consolation, Nietes was named by the late Bert Sugar and trainer Teddy Atlas as one of the five greatest 105-pounders of all-time in the “The Ultimate Book of Boxing Lists,” sharing the distinction with legends like Ricardo Lopez, Ratanapol Sor Vorapin and Ivan Calderon.

In explaining Nietes’ emergence, writer David Greisman noted, “Nietes hasn’t lost a bout since 2004 when he travelled to Indonesia and dropped a split decision to Angky Angkota who was not only the hometown fighter but was six pounds overweight as well … since then, Niees went on to capture a vacant minimumweight world title by outpointing then-undefeated Pornsawan Porpramook … he made four successful defenses, including a win over Mario Rodriguez before moving up to 108 … Nietes won a belt there in late 2011, defended it successfully once in 2012 and then with a draw to Moises Fuentes last March.”

Nietes’ claim to fame is etched in the courage he displayed by mowing down three Mexican challengers to retain his WBO minimumweight crown in Mexico. They fell in succession, Erik Ramirez, Manuel Vargas and Rodriguez. What made the wins more impressive was they all came on points.

Gutierrez, 27, hasn’t fought in nearly a year when he was stopped by archrival Raul Garcia in the third round in Mexico. It was their fourth meeting. The first wound up a draw and Garcia won the next two by a split and majority decision. Gutierrez has never lost to a Filipino, disposing of Renan Trongco in six in Argentina and Roilo Golez in five in Mexico, both in 2011. Gutierrez has experience on his side with a 33-9-2 record, including 23 KOs, compared to Nietes’ 31-1-4, including 17 KOs. Nietes, however, hasn’t lost in his last 23 outings dating back to 2004.

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Chicago’s Celestino Ruiz will be the third man in the ring. Early this month, Ruiz worked the WBO flyweight title eliminator between Giovanni Segura and Hernan Marquez in Mexico. The slam-bang affair ended with Segura knocking out Marquez for the full count at 1:57 of the 12th round. Marquez left the ring on a stretcher. The judges will be Filipino lawyer Danrex Tapdasan, Jack Reiss of California and Levi Martinez of Texas.

‘Nietes isn’t the only Filipino world champion in the card. WBO minimumweight king Merlito Sabillo, a 29-year-old southpaw, makes his second defense against unbeaten Nicaraguan contender Carlos Buitrago in a 12-rounder. Sabillo is also undefeated with a 23-0 record, including 12 KOs. Buitrago’s record is 27-0, with 16 KOs, including six in the first round. Reiss will be the referee with Martinez, Joerg Milke of Germany and Takeshi Shimakawa of Japan as judges.

Sabillo captured the interim WBO 105-pound title via an eighth round stoppage of Luis de la Rosa in Colombia last March. The interim status was later declared permanent by WBO president Paco Valcarcel. In his first defense last July, Sabillo halted Jorle Estrada in nine at the Solaire Resort Hotel and Casino. Fans are expecting a donnybrook in this bout as the protagonists, both KO artists, are hell-bent to protect their unblemished records.

Also in the bill is Milan Melindo, battling to bounce back from a disappointing loss to WBO/WBA flyweight titlist Juan Francisco Estrada in Macau last July. Melindo, 25, suffered his first defeat to Estrada and will face Mexico;s Jose Alfredo (Torito) Rodriguez in a 12-rounder for the vacant WBO International flyweight diadem.   Melindo’s record is 29-1, with 12 KOs, while Rodriguez, 24, checks in with a 29-2 slate, including 18 KOs. Rodriguez is coming off a second round stoppage of Marvin Diaz in Sinaloa last August. His two defeats were registered last year when he was outpointed by Albert Rossel in Lima and stopped by Kazuto Ioka for the vacant WBA lightflyweight title in Osaka.

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Other ALA mainstays A. J. Banal, Jason Pagara and Jimrex Jaca are featured, too. Banal, 24, hopes to make it two wins in a row since losing to Pungluang Sor Singyu for the vacant WBO bantamweight crown last year. He meets Dominican Republic featherweight Lucian Gonzalez who is unbeaten in his last six assignments and fresh from a first round demolition of Ramon Matias. Gonzalez, 30, is in his fourth fight this year. Banal halted Abraham Gomez in two last July to mark his comeback. His record is 29-2-1, with 21 KOs, compared to Gonzalez’ mark of 16-2-7, with 5 KOs.

Pagara, 25, will put his WBO International lightwelterweight throne on the line against the Dominican Republic’s Vladimir Baez in a 12-rounder while Jaca, 30, tangles with Indonesia’s Willem Reyk in a sixer.

It’s a rarity that a fight card has such a dazzling array of Filipino stars, including two world champions. ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer has done a remarkable job in assembling the bill which is a treat for Filipino boxing fans. The Filipino fighters are gearing for a sweep to join the bandwagon now rolling with consecutive victories by Ana Julaton, Donaire and Pacquiao.