MANILA, Philippines – It wasn?t a typical dominating Donnie Nietes performance but the former WBO minimumweight and lightflyweight champion did enough to repulse relentless Thai Komgrich Nantapech via a unanimous 12-round decision for the vacant IBF flyweight crown at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino ballroom last Saturday night.
Nietes, 34, was expected to knock out Nantapech, 27, as the 25-1 favorite. The Thai, however, proved as tough as advertised. Nantapech took Nietes? best shots without flinching, bored in fearlessly and never stepped back in trying to score an upset like his countryman Srisaket Sor Kungvisai who outpointed previously unbeaten pound-for-pound king Roman (Chocolatito) Gonzalez in New York City last March.
Nietes started strong but wavered in the middle rounds before putting on a fiery finish to seal the outcome. It appeared that Nietes hurt his left hand in the sixth round, prompting a change in tactics from an aggressive all-out attack to a stick-and-move routine. After the fight, the left hand was pulled out of its glove and stripped of bandage to reveal a severe swelling.
ALA Boxing president Michael Aldeguer said the swelling will mean an extended rest for Nietes to recover. The initial plan was for Nietes to make his first defense on Sept. 16 but it will now be moved to Nov. 18 in Bacolod for the 43rd edition of the Pinoy Pride series, ALA?s joint venture with ABS-CBN. The next Pinoy Pride card is set on July 8.
?We might not know yet if Donnie has lost his power at 112,? said Aldeguer. ?Stamina has always been Donnie?s asset as he usually gets stronger as the rounds get longer. But against Nantapech, he got a bit tired. Was it the swollen hand? Was it the age factor? Credit to the Thai who was super aggressive. I think a big factor was Donnie?s hand which swelled after repeatedly hitting Nantapech on the head. That?s probably why Donnie had to change his gameplan of weaving to back-tracking a little bit.?
Nantapech?s manager Jimmy Chaichotchuang had no objection to the decision. Judges Greg Ortega of Legazpi City and Katushiko Nakamura of Japan saw it 117-111, both for Nietes. The other judge Somsak Sirianant of Thailand scored it closer, 115-113, but still had Nietes ahead. ?Jimmy accepted the decision,? said Aldeguer. ?He told me Donnie is a great champion and it was an opportunity for Nantapech to fight a legend.? Dean’s Corner ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1
The win raised Nietes? record to 40-1-4, with 22 KOs and etched his name in Philippine boxing history as the third Filipino to capture world titles in at least three weight divisions after Manny Pacquiao and Nonito Donaire Jr. Falling short of a grand slam were two-class world champions Gerry Pe?alosa, Dodie Boy Pe?alosa, Luisito Espinosa, Brian Viloria and Johnriel Casimero. Nantapech?s record dipped to 22-4, with 15 KOs. The Thai has now lost three bouts in the country, first to Albert Pagara in Maasin in 2012 then to Froilan Saludar in Makati in 2013 and now, to Nietes.
Nietes and Nantapech finished with marks of a hard-fought battle. ?Nantapech looked a lot more beaten up with swelling on his face,? said Aldeguer. ?Donnie had a little bit of swelling, too, more than his previous fights. Both had scratches and minor cuts.? Nietes? cornerman Edito Villamor said the new champion suffered a slight gash over his right eyebrow but it wasn?t a cause for concern.
There seemed to be a problem in Nietes? conditioning as he took three tries on the scales to make the 112-pound limit at the weigh-in the day before the fight. He tipped in at 112.4 on his first attempt and 112.2 on his second. Nietes finally hit 112 after taking off his underwear and stepping on the scales without a stitch. It was only Nietes? second fight as a flyweight after making his debut in the 105-pound minimumweight division in 2003.
ALA Boxing chairman Tony Aldeguer said Nietes? showing wasn?t his best although he still described it as brilliant. ?I felt it was more of his conditioning that caused his failure to knock out Nantapech rather than his lack of power in a heavier division,? he said. ?I honestly believe that if he had trained under (American strength and conditioning coach) Nick Curson, he would have surely stopped the Thai.?
The ALA patriarch said he wasn?t privy to Nietes day-to-day training. ?Being retired, I didn?t monitor his training the way I used to in the past,? the 75-year-old Sports Hall of Famer said. ?I haven?t been in the gym for almost a year. But I believe Donnie will be a dominant force at 112. Nantapech was a tough nut to crack. It was a hard fight for Donnie although his mastery showed throughout the 12 rounds.?
