At the stroke of midnight on December 31, a soft-spoken ring warrior has officially established a new Philippine record as the longest-reigning Filipino world boxing champion.
Reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) light flyweight champion Donnie “Ahas” Nietes rewrote the record books as he surpassed the monumental longevity record of Hall of Famer, the late Gabriel “Flash” Elorde, one of the greatest fighters of all time who reigned as World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Association (WBA) super featherweight/junior lightweight champion for seven years and three months.
With a convincing victory over Mexican Carlos “Chapio” Velarde, who quit in the seventh round last Nov. 15 in Cebu, the 32-year-old product of a fighting boxing clan from Murcia, not far from Bacolod City, moved on the threshold of surpassing Elorde’s record, which had stood for over 34 years.
It marked Nietes’ reign as a world champion in the minimum weight and light flyweight divisions lasting seven years, two months and 15 days.
So now that Nietes has managed to hold on to the title until the first day of January this year, he finally surpassed the long-standing record of Elorde who won the world super featherweight title on March 16, 1960 by knocking out the defending world champion Harold Gomes in seven rounds.
Elorde was able to defend the crown 10 times until June 15, 1967 when he lost a majority decision to Yoshiaki Numata of Japan. This made him the longest reigning world junior lightweight champion ever in the division to remain today the most beloved Filipino boxer after Manny Pacquiao.
This year, Nietes is planning to move up in weight – to flyweight – to chase a third division world crown.
Among the names being floated as possible opponents are reigning World Boxing Organization champion Juan Franciscon Estrada, who won the WBO and World Boxing Association belts in a split decision win over Filipino Brian Viloria in Macau and retained the title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Milan Melindo.
Nietes, who has for years quietly remained in the shadow of Filipino superstars Pacquiao and Nonito Donaire Jr., started his career as a professional boxer in 2003 at the age of 20. He strung together victories until he won his first championship, the Philippines Boxing Federation (PBF) light flyweight title against Joseph Villasis via first-round technical knockout.
He first became a world champion on September 30, 2007 when he beat then undefeated Pornsawarn Kratingdaenggym of Thailand via unanimous decision for the vacant WBO Minimumweight World Title at Waterfront-Cebu City Hotel, Cebu City, Philippines.
He then moved up to light flyweight as he captured the WBO title with a hard-fought, 12-round unanimous decision over Mexican Ramon Garcia Hirales at the La Salle Stadium in Bacolod City, where his hometown fans gave Nietes a rousing reception.
In his most compelling ring performance in a rematch with talented Mexican Moises Fuentes, against whom Nietes retained his title with a majority draw on March 2, 2013, Donnie put on a classic display of innate skill, ring savvy and punching power to annihilate his foe.
Nietes dropped Fuentes three times in May 2014 to win by a sensational ninth-round knockout that even stunned Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera, who had predicted Fuentes would win and take the title back to Mexico.
Nietes is, indeed, one of the best Filipino boxers ever, a defining moment for him and Philippine boxing as well.
