IF it?s not too much to ask, please include our longest reigning world champion in your prayers today if you go to mass early on Sundays.
The Donnie Nietes-Edgar Sosa will take place at the Stubhub Center at Carson, California and hostilities should conclude around lunch, PHL time.
SOSA. This accomplished Mexican is a former world champion with a record of 52-9, 30KOs.
He is a former world champion and has beaten Pinoy champions such as Sonny Boy Jaro, Juanito Rubillar and Brian Viloria.
To Pinoy fans, he is perhaps known more for his infamous bout with Rodel Mayol where he was knocked out in the second round, after he was decked and buzzed by an unintentional headbutt from the Mandaue fighter.
Sosa is your typical in-your-face Mexican fighter who likes to press the action.
This aggressive approach didn?t quite serve him well when he challenged the reigning pound-for-pound king Roman Gonzales last year as he got eviscerated in just 2 rounds.
Against the more cautios, cerebral Nietes (38-1, 22 KOs) how will Sosa fare?
MY TAKE. If he were a younger fighter, Sosa would be a much tougher nut to crack.
But at 37 years of age, the odometer reading is quite high and so he doesn?t have the same the level of physicality he used to bring.
Against a fighter of Nietes? caliber you have to really bring a frenetic pace to disrupt his rhythm and fight well during exchanges.
Perhaps maturity will bring about a more cautious approach from Sosa, but either way, I still see Donnie winning.
Sosa will certainly have his moments and land some serious leather, but I see ?Ahas? winning via unanimous decision and notching his first victory in his new weight class.
REMATCH. On the same card will be the rematch between Arthur Villanueva (29-1, 15 KOs) and Mexican Juan Jimenez (22-10, 15 KOs).
To recall, their first fight which was held in Bacolod last year ended in bizarre fashion.
Early in the fight, the two warriors exchanged knockdowns. But as things heated up in the fourth, both fighters clashed heads unintentionally during an exchange.
Unfortunately, Jimenez got the worst end of it, and was literally knocked out unconscious. Unable to continue, ?King? Arthur was declared the victor.
A little controversy is always good for drumming up interest in fights, but this time around let?s hope the outcome is more decisive.
MAGSAYO. Also on the undercard will be Mark Magsayo squaring off against Mexican Ramiro Robles.
Magsayo (14-0,11KOs) is coming off an impressive TKO victory over Chris Avalos in his last encounter but the 23-year old Robles (13-5, 8KOs) is rumored to be heavy-handed so this should be an interesting matchup between two young prospects.
VERBATIM. ? Tyson has, this week, been declared medically unfit to fight. Medical specialists have advised that the condition is too severe to allow him to participate in the rematch and that he will require treatment before going back into the ring.?— Team Fury statement on postponement of Wladimir Klitschko rematch (www.boxing.com)
LAST ROUND. It?s on my better half and my favorite Judge, Hon. Charina Navarro-Quijano on our 16th anniversary. #mayforeverlagi. Cheers!
