NIETES CONTINUES U.S. TRAINING, SPARS WITH SEGURA

WBO light flyweight world champion Donnie "Ahas" Nietes will be sparring with a boxer familiar to Filipino fight fans Monday, March 17 at Daniel Ponce de Leon's gym. The ALA gym informed philboxing that Nietes will get to spar with former WBA and WBO light flyweight champion Giovani Segura as part of Nietes' preparation for his upcoming rematch with Moises Fuentes of Mexico.

Segura, a.k.a. "El Guerrero Azteca, was a top ten pound for pound fighter when he stopped the long reigning champion Ivan Calderon of Puerto Rico in eight rounds in 2010. He would stop Calderon in their rematch, this time in three rounds. Segura lost his pound for pound ranking when he moved up to flyweight to challenge Brian Viloria for the WBO belt in the Philippines in 2011. Segura lost by TKO in the eighth round. He would lose to Edgar Sosa on points before bouncing back with KO wins against erstwhile unbeaten Puerto Rican Jonathan Gonzales and former champ Hernan 'Tyson' Marquez of Mexico.

Segura has also beaten Filipino boxers Sonny Boy Jaro, who would have a short reign as WBC world flyweight champion, and Juanito Rubillar. Nietes and Fuentes fought to a draw in Cebu City last year. They are penned to meet this May 10 once again here in the Philippines. Nietes has been in California for more than a month. He is with trainers Edito Villamor, Michael Domingo and ALA stablemate WBO minimumweight world champion Merlito Sabillo.

Photo: Nietes (R) and Segura (L) pose after their sparring session.