It was another clinical dissection for Donnie Nietes. Another day at the office, another challenger toppled. This is something that Filipino boxing fans have gotten used to and on many occasions, taken for granted.
Nietes has been a constant presence in the Golden Age of Philippine Boxing. He has reigned as a world title-holder since 2007 in three weight divisions. But he, like all active Filipino boxers, fought under the shadow of Manny Pacquiao.
Nietes showed that he too can perform on a bigger stage. In his debut fighting on HBO, he stopped Argentinian challenger Juan Carlos Reveco in seven rounds to retain the IBF world flyweight title. This was Nietes? third fight on U.S. soil.
In the first five rounds, Nietes gave a clinic on defense and precision counterpunching. In his subtle but brutal way, he showed Reveco that he was the boss inside the ring and there was nothing his challenger could do about it.
Reveco was caught by a short right near the end of the sixth and was out on his feet, staggering and was embraced by his cornerman after the bell sounded. The minute rest period wasn?t enough and Nietes pounced like a jungle predator and decked Reveco again. The Argentine corner wisely saved their boxer from further punishment.
Nietes is no stranger to adversity and this made him grow as a boxer. When he was WBO minimumweight champion, he defended his crown three times in Mexico, a feat unmatched in Philippine boxing history.
Surpassing the reign of the legendary Flash Elorde was also another singular accomplishment.
But at 35 years old, he is still in search of a career defining opponent.
His biggest win to date was the ninth round KO victory over Mexican Moises Fuentes at the Mall of Asia Arena in 2014. This was rematch of their fight that ended in a draw in Cebu City a year earlier. Not only did Nietes retain his WBO light flyweight title, he was also recognized as the lineal world champion by Ring magazine.
But when Nietes won his third world title last year, the big names at flyweight have already moved up a division higher.
A match against Juan Francisco Estrada would have been interesting because of the Mexican?s previous win against Nietes? stablemate Milan Melindo. Nicaraguan Roman Gonzalez, who used to be considered one of the best pound for pound boxers in the world, left the flyweight division and was also campaigning at 115.
With Nietes making an appearance at the Superfly series, there is now talk of matching him with the division?s big names. Gonzalez seems to be interested. The super flyweight division also has Naoya Inoue of Japan, Thailand?s Srisaket Sor Rungvisai who had just beaten Estrada, Filipino Jerwin Ancajas, Khalid Yafai of the U.K., and now Puerto Rican McWilliams Arroyo who beat Mexican Carlos Cuadras.
Nietes is ow 41W-1L-4D, 23KO?s. He will turn 36 this May. He fights like he is ten years younger. But 36 is 36. He is not going to box forever. He has stated for the past few years he is willing to fight anyone. His handlers should not make him wait much longer.
Photo: IBF flyweight champion Donnie Nietes of the Philippines (R) connects with a right at his challenger Juan Carlos Reveco of Argentina during their title fight Saturday night at The Forum in Inglewood, California.
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