Donnie Nietes did enough to earn the WBO lightflyweight crown on a unanimous 12-round decision over Mexico?s Ramon Garcia at a packed University of St. La Salle gym in Bacolod City last Saturday but because he failed to knock out the durable champion and endured some scary moments, some fans weren?t convinced.
ALA Boxing owner Tony Aldeguer, whose son Michael manages Nietes, said he?s not surprised by the reaction. ?I realize Donnie isn?t an explosive fighter like Manny Pacquiao,? said Aldeguer. ?He?s not as impressive. But he knows how to win and that?s the bottom line. When he was the WBO minimumweight champion, Donnie turned back three Mexican challengers in Mexico, all on points. That gives you an idea of his skills. He?s a technical fighter, very proficient, but isn?t sensational.?
Aldeguer said there was no doubt in his mind that Nietes deserved the verdict and called it a decisive victory. ?I think Garcia won four rounds and Donnie, eight,? said Aldeguer. ?Donnie landed the cleaner blows. Garcia?s punches were like pats. Donnie controlled the first five rounds then Garcia came back to take the middle rounds before Donnie won the last three. Garcia was exhausted in the end.?
Nietes appeared to lose steam when Garcia staged his rally and Aldeguer blamed it on a nutritional glitch. ?Donnie weighed in at 108 flat and we wanted him to enter the fight at 118 so he could be at full strength,? revealed Aldeguer. ?But after the weigh-in, Donnie couldn?t take too much food or liquids. He felt bloated. Donnie eventually entered the ring at 113. I think that?s why he lost energy in the middle rounds when Garcia came back. Luckily, Donnie got his second wind to finish strong while Garcia faded.?
