Determined to put on a show at the Smart Araneta Coliaseum on March 28, the three stars who will headline ?Pinoy Pride 30 ? DDAY? sparred for ten rounds each and by all accounts ?looked very good.?
Donnie ?Ahas? Nietes who will defend his WBO light flyweight title against Gilberto Parra sparred with promising Mark ?Magnifico? Magsayo and Roli Gasca while IBF Intercontinental super bantamweight champion Prince Albert Pagara also went ten rounds with Milan Melindo, Melvin Gumban and Ryo Acajo who will face Prosper Ankrah of Ghana for the WBO International bantamweight championship on the ?Pinoy Pride 30? card.
Donaire?s father/trainer ?Dodong? Donaire said his son went 10 rounds despite the heat and was ?still picking up.?
He said there will be two more sparring sessions this week and two more the next before trhe fighters leave for Manila on the 21st.
?Dodong" said the five division world champion who is eager to erase the memory of his crushing loss to a bigger and strong featherweight champion Nicholas ?Axe Man? Walters has banished ?all negativity and its all positive? in his commitment to make a statement in his return to the ring.
Renowned boxing patron Tony Aldeguer who watched Donaire spar told us he was ?impressed and noticed his hand-speed and power? but did indicate he was concerned about Donaire?s weight as he noted that Donaire looked big for someone who is returning to the super bantamweight limit of 122.
Trainer Edmund Villamor who handles Nietes and Pagara said both fighters were in tremendous shape and he was most impressed with Nietes? movement.
Nietes is currently the longest-reigning Filipino world champion after he surpassed the record of the late Hall-of-Famer Gabriel ?Flash? Elorde of 7 years and 3 months last January 1.
Nietes has indicated he wants to continue his winning streak for nat least another three years and judging by his remarkable work ethic, there is no reason why he cannot achieve his goal.
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