BACOLOD CITY, Philippines ? Newly-crowned World Boxing Organization (WBO) light-flyweight king Donnie Nietes will make the first defense of his crown next year against somebody other than Mexican Ramon Garcia.
Nietes was awarded a 12-round unanimous decision over Garcia with the scoresheets submitted by two of the three judges?Lisa Giampa of Nevada and Carlos Ortiz of New York ? looking as though they watched a different fight.
Giampa had it 118-110 and Ortiz saw it 117-111, both for Nietes, while Filipino Danrex Tapdasan scored it 115-113, also for Nietes, who had a strong start but faded as the 12-rounder wore on.
The Bulletin scored it 114-114 although from an overall viewpoint, Garcia should have been declared winner owing to his being able to put Nietes in serious trouble several times.
Nietes said he would gladly give Garcia a rematch but it doesn?t look like there?s going to be one since there?s no rematch clause in the contract that they both signed because it was a mandatory defense for the Mexican.
Nietes? chief handler Michael Aldeguer said Nietes will return to the ring and make a voluntary defense in ?March or April next year here or in Manila.
There were a few instances during Garcia?s big rounds from the sixth to the tenth when he came within one clean punch away from flooring Nietes, who appeared ready to pass out from exhaustion and from Garcia?s pounding.
When the official decision was announced, the crowd at the St. La Salle Coliseum erupted in cheers since most of them had probably thought that Garcia would retain the WBO 108-lb diadem by virtue of his late domination.
Some spectators had actually gone out of the venue as early as the tenth round, sensing that the roof was about to cave in on their hometown bet.
