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PINOY PRIDE IX: NIETES OUTPOINTS GARCIA HIRALES; CAPTURES 2ND DIVISION TITLE (PHOTOS)


PhilBoxing.com




Bacolod City ? Donnie ?Ahas? Nietes and Ramon ?Principe? Garcia Hirales started tentatively; with a lot of probing and feinting. Nietes threw more punches and took the opening round. Nietes tried to cut the ring off as Garcia was more content to move and counter. Nietes? right hand found its range in the third and landed the more telling blows. He easily picked off Garcia?s shots with his gloves. Nietes also used his right uppercut to perfection as he hung on to a small lead past the halfway mark.

Garcia sensed that the title was slipping away and attacked the challenger?s body. Nietes moved around and picked his angles but the Mexican was relentless.

Nietes looked spent going into 8th till 10th rounds and this provided anxious moments for the partisan crowd.

A clash of heads in the 11th lead to a cut on Nietes? left eyebrow. Both boxers missed wildly in a spine tingling final round.

The scores ? Atty. Danrex Tapdasan ? 115-113, Carlos Ortiz ? 117-111 and Lisa Giampa 118-110 for the native of Murcia, Negros Occidental. Nietes (29W-1L-3D, 16 KO?s) now joins the list of Filipinos who won at least two titles in different weight divisions ? the Penalosa brothers Dodie and Gerry, Luisito Espinosa, Manny Pacquiao (8 titles) , Nonito Donaire and Brian Viloria.

Top photo: Bacolod mayor Bing Leonardia awards Nietes with a trophy after Nietes wrested the title from Garcia.










BANAL HANDS BRIONES HIS FIRST LOSS

AJ ?Bazooka? Banal gave a masterful boxing display and retained his WBO Asia-Pacific bantamweight title against Mario Briones of Mexico. Briones was a sucker for Banal?s right hook and he could not find his range and his long reach proved ineffective due to Banal?s speed and lateral movement. Briones was rocked several times but hung tough.

Referee Bruce McTavish had points deducted - Banal for low blows and Briones for using his elbow to hold Banal and again for low blows. Briones (20W-1L-1D, 14 KO?s) gave one last stand in the endgame as Banal (26W-1L-1D, 19 KO?s) chose to play defense. The crowd egged Banal on and both fighters threw hard shots to end the fight. The scores ? 118-107, 115-110 and 117-108.


Banal celebrates after the fight.



Photo by Dong Secuya.

THE PRINCE TAMES THE PANTHER
?Prince? Albert Pagara scored three knockdowns and won by a lopsided eight round unanimous decision against Shabani ?Black Panther? Madilu of Tanzania. Madilu was the aggressor but he walked into a counter left hook in the opening round.

Pagara (8W-0L, 6 KO?s) sent Madilu down again in the second, again courtesy of a left hook. Pagara?s long reach and lateral movement proved to be the deciding factor in this fight but Madilu showed heart by continuing to move forward.

A stunning volley sent the East African down again in the fourth. Madilu (12W-7L-3D, 6 KO?s) was able to withstand barrage after barrage until the final bell. The scorecards read ? 80-69, 80-69 and 78-71. To Madilu?s credit, he stopped the streak of knockout losses suffered by his countrymen at the hands of ALA boxers.

POSTSCRIPT:
This writer had it closer and agrees with the margin of Judge Tapdasan?s scorecard of 115-113. A quick poll among those at ringside ?Bruce McTavish 116-112, Dong Secuya ? 116-112 for Nietes, Carlos Costa had it 115-113 for Garcia Hirales.


Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rene Bonsubre, Jr..


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