Philippines, 10 Oct 2025
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


Finally, Respect for Nietes


PhilBoxing.com




Why did Filipino world champion Donnie Nietes go into the hometown of his opponent in Mexico to defend his World Boxing Organization (WBO) minimumweight championship of the world? To some, it wouldn?t make sense. To others, it was like committing suicide. But to Donnie, it was all about respect.

Respect he should earn now, after defending his championship through a convincing unanimous decision win over challenger Erik Ramirez in a fight that saw the Mexican hitting the deck four times. And Nietes did all this in Ramirez?s hometown of Oaxaca , Mexico. The irony of it all is that it was Nietes who wanted the fight badly just to gain respect from the boxing community.

In a presscon held for Nietes the other night, ALA Promotions President Michael Aldeguer said that after winning the WBO world championship and defending it once here in Cebu, it was imperative that Nietes fight and win a big one abroad to gain the recognition that has somehow eluded him since he won the belt in 2007.

?Respect is what he?s looking for. A third fight here wouldn?t have helped. He needed this for his career. But more importantly, he really wanted this one. Donnie?s dream was to fight a Mexican in Mexico,? Aldeguer said.

Knowing that the odds were stacked against him even if he was the defending champion, Nietes relied on his excellent conditioning, rigid mental preparation, his overhand right and the bonus of a small ring to get the job done. Fighting in Mexico for the first time was not a major issue for Nietes who was unusually calm and mentally focused for the fight. Nietes scored his first knockdown through an overhand right hand in the very first round even if the plan then was to study the opponent early in the fight. The same right hand sent the challenger down three more times in the fifth, ninth and twelfth round to throw away any doubts on the fight?s outcome.

Trainer Edmund Villamor acknowledged that it was Nietes? consistent use of the double jab that set up the right hand. Nietes was the aggressor for most of the fight while Ramirez seemed to have adopted a fight plan of just simply piling up points from a boxer?s stance. The smaller ring helped the cause of Nietes as Ramirez as a target didn?t have much room for running. In the end, Nietes won on the scorecards of all three judges. Cesar Ramos and Victor Salomon scored the bout 115-109 and 116-108, respectively for Nietes, while Jon Stewart scored it a close 113-111 also for Nietes, a score which raised some eyebrows. If Nietes hadn?t scored at least three knockdowns, he would?ve lost in Stewart?s scorecard.

Another Mexican is next in line for Nietes. Even before getting the chance to give Nietes a warm welcome, Team ALA was already instructed by the WBO to start negotiations with the promoters of WBO interim champion Manuel Vargas for a showdown for the regular championship of Nietes. Vargas is handled by well-known promoter Fernando Beltran, the same promoter of Erik Morales, Jose Luis Castillo and Ulysses Solis.

After defending his title twice, Team ALA hopes that Nietes finally proves that he belongs up there with his more popular stablemates like Z Gorres, Boom Boom Bautista and AJ Banal. ?In Team ALA , we always believed that Donnie always had it. ALA himself believed in Donnie,? Aldeguer quipped.

The big question now is whether or not the boxing public will give him the respect he deserves.

Top photo: Nietes celebrates after successfully defending his title in Mexico.


Nietes displays his belt during Wednesday night's presscon at the Sugbahan Restaurant in Mandaue City.


Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rico Navarro.


Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • “Pitbull” Cruz Battles Skilled Lamont Roach Next!
    By Carlos Costa, , Fri, 10 Oct 2025
  • Eddie Hearn Warns: Dana White's Push to Amend Ali Act Could Hide Fighter Revenues and Undermine Boxer Protections
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Fri, 10 Oct 2025
  • SEBASTIAN "EL TRUENO" JUAREZ TRAINING CAMP NOTES
    , Fri, 10 Oct 2025
  • WBC No. 2 Cruiserweight Ryan Rozicki reinjured
    , Fri, 10 Oct 2025
  • DAVE ALLEN VS ARSLANBEK MAKHMUDOV SHEFFIELD PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES
    , Fri, 10 Oct 2025
  • HANOI OPEN DAY TWO: CHUA, GORST, BIADO, SHAW AND DUONG CRUISE INTO LAST 64 IN HANOI
    , Fri, 10 Oct 2025
  • BOSTAN AND FAWAZ TRADE VERBAL BLOWS IN SHEFFIELD CITY CENTRE FACE-OFF AHEAD OF TITLE REMATCH – LIVE ON DAZN
    , Fri, 10 Oct 2025
  • Yoelvis Gomez Set to Face Unbeaten Antraveous Ingram in Title Clash on DAZN
    , Fri, 10 Oct 2025
  • Dante Kirkman Set to Make Southern California Debut Against Power Puncher Wesley Vanderlinden on October 23 at Fight Club OC
    , Fri, 10 Oct 2025
  • 8th AQ Prime FIDE Standard Open chessfest slated
    By Dong Secuya, , Thu, 09 Oct 2025
  • A Filipino and an American Homecoming
    By Emmanuel Rivera, RRT, , Thu, 09 Oct 2025
  • Tragedy Strikes Again: Arturo Gatti Jr., Son of Boxing Legend, Found Dead at 17 in Mexico
    By Dong Secuya, , Thu, 09 Oct 2025
  • Golden State Making a Bid for NBA Title
    By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Thu, 09 Oct 2025
  • JOHANN CHUA LAUNCHES TITLE DEFENCE WITH DOMINANT START IN HANOI | 2025 HANOI OPEN POOL CHAMPIONSHIP
    , Thu, 09 Oct 2025
  • RED-HOT CUBAN MIDDLEWEIGHT YOENLI HERNANDEZ: “I’M READY WILLING AND ABSOLUTELY ABLE TO FACE THE BIG NAMES IN MY DIVISION.”
    , Thu, 09 Oct 2025
  • BOOTS ENNIS GOES HEAD-TO-HEAD WITH LIMA AHEAD OF 154LB DEBUT – LIVE ON DAZN
    , Wed, 08 Oct 2025
  • ALLEN AND MAKHMUDOV MEET FOR FIRST FACE-OFF IN SHEFFIELD AHEAD OF HUGE HEAVYWEIGHT SHOWDOWN – LIVE ON DAZN
    , Wed, 08 Oct 2025
  • Amateur Boxer Tyrone Welch Dies After Match in Saginaw
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Wed, 08 Oct 2025
  • AJ Lim Captures Fourth PCA Men’s Singles Title, Extends Dominance in Philippine Tennis
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Wed, 08 Oct 2025
  • THRILLA IN MANILA GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY 18: JOE FRAZIER VS. GEORGE FOREMAN FIRST ENCOUNTER - THE SUNSHINE SHOWDOWN
    By Maloney L. Samaco, , Wed, 08 Oct 2025
  • 5th Zhengxing Cup Philippine Xiangqi Rapid Open tournament on October 12
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Wed, 08 Oct 2025
  • Joey Canoy back in training; preparing to face IBF champ Beaven Sibanda in February
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Wed, 08 Oct 2025
  • RED OWL BOXING ANNOUNCES BROADCAST TEAM AND FULL FIGHT CARD FOR THIS FRIDAY NIGHT’S “BOXFEST XVI”
    , Wed, 08 Oct 2025
  • Tyson Fury back in 2026?
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Tue, 07 Oct 2025
  • THE PAST WEEK IN ACTION 6 OCTOBER 2025: Cecilia Braekhaus Retires After Defeating Ema Kozin
    By Eric Armit, , Tue, 07 Oct 2025




  •  



     
    PhilBoxing.com has been created to support every aspiring
    Filipino boxer and the Philippine boxing scene in general.
    Please send comments to feedback@philboxing.com


    PRIVATE POLICY | LEGAL DISCLAIMER
    developed and maintained by dong secuya
    © 2025 philboxing.com.