WBO Asia-Pacific minimumweight champion Donnie Nietes will see a familiar face working on the opposite corner when he defends his title on July 7 against Thailand’s Saengpetch Sor Sakulphan at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel.
Sakulphan, the hard-hitting prospect from Bangkok, is trained by Filipino Michael John Palacios, who took his apprenticeship as a trainer at the famed ALA Gym two years ago.
This time, Palacios will be hard-pressed to use that knowledge against one of ALA Gym’s top fighters, the talented Bacolod-raised Nietes.
“I will be in Cebu on July 4 or 5 to work in the corner of my boxer Saengpetch and then I go back to Thailand on the 8th,” said Palacios, who will be working opposite his mentor Edito ‘Ala’ Villamor who will be in Nietes’ corner for the fight.
Nietes versus Sakulphan is just one of the four championship bouts being lined up by promoter Sammy Gello-ani, who is putting up the show together with South Korea’s BP Entertainment and Boxing Plaza group.
The 25-year-old Nietes will be making the second defense of the title he won with an impressive second-round stoppage of Indonesian fighter Heri Amol late last year.
Also set to see action is Korean Yong Sung Kim who will defend his WBO Asia Pacific interim junior welter title against Thai Somchai Nakbalee.
Also set to defend his title is newly-crowned WBO interim Asia Pacific bantam champion Robert Allanic.
An exciting 12-round RP flyweight title duel also takes place with ALA Boy Rocky Fuentes trades leathers with Wakee Salud protege Benedict Suico.
Also set to spice up the card is the pro debut of two ALA Boys, Joseph Von Minoza and James Bacon, who are both former national amateur standouts.
