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3 Bacolod boxing champs to fight in the US By Jerome S. Galunan Jr. PhilBoxing.com Mon, 25 Mar 2013  (Watchmen Daily Journal) -- For the first time in boxing history, three champions from Bacolod City are tentatively scheduled to fight in the United States sometime in July. This was revealed last Friday, March 22, during a press conference held at the residence of Games and Amusement Board Chairman Juan Ramon ?Monju? Guanzon with WBO Lightflyweight titlist Donnie ?Ahas? Nietes, newly-crowned Interim WBO Minimumweight champion Merlito ?Tiger? Sabillo, WBO-OPBF Superflyweight holder Genesis ?Azukal? Servania, ALA gym trainer Edmund Villamor, and MKK standard bearer and former Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella present. The 30-year-old Nietes, who was born in Murcia but grew in Bacolod, said that ALA gym?s boss Antonio ?Bidoy? Aldeguer told them that they might fight in one card in the US this July. Nietes (31 victories, a loss, 4 draws with 17KOs) said that this July fight will serve as his tune-up for the possible rematch with WBO minimumweight champion Moises Fuentes of Mexico in November. Both fighters ended their March 2 fight, at the Pacific Grand Ball Room of the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino, on a majority draw with American judges Adalaide Byrd and Patrick Russell scored the fight 114-114, while lawyer Danrex Tapdasan of the Philippines, had Nietes 115-113. When asked why he prefers fighting in Cebu or other places than Bacolod, Nietes admitted that he felt greater pressure fighting before his hometown fans. ?It?s maybe, because I?m not used then to fight with my fellow Negrenses watching me. It?s all mind-setting. But if ever, given the chance to stage one of my future fights here, I assure things will be different,? the WBO Lightflyweight champion explained. Meanwhile, Toboso-born and Bacolod-raised Sabillo (21 wins with 11 KOs) said that he is very thankful that after years of sacrifices, all his efforts paid off. ?I?m very happy that our Lord granted my prayers to be a world champion and my gratitude to our countrymen who continue to pray and supported all the Filipino boxers during our fights,? he said. And, when asked by the press if Sabillo felt the same pressure as what Nietes experienced, the 29-year-old titlist replied, ?not at all.? ?I won most of my fights here, from the Philippine Championship belt to OPBF title, so I?m used to fight with hometown pressure.? Sabillo also shared that he strove hard to win every fight to help his family. ?At first, all I thought was to win my fights and earn money to help my family and pay our debts. But I realized that my purse from those victories wasn?t enough to pay our accounts. Later, I told myself that I have to be an OPBF champion for us to pay those unpaid accounts. But, still it wasn?t enough. So, finally decided to train harder and be a world champion. Thank God it?s already here and slowly, I?m able to contribute to resolve my family?s financial constraints,? the Interim WBO Minimumweight champion said. "In order to achieve our goals in life, we must have self-discipline, hardwork, and above all, have faith in the Lord," he said. Sabillo stopped Colombia's hometown pride Luis de la Rosa in round eight of a scheduled 12-rounder last March 9 to seize the interim WBO minimumweight title at the Coliseo Mario De Leon Cerete in Cordoba, Colombia. On the other hand, Servania, who hailed from Brgy. Pta. Taytay, has kept his unblemished record of 19 wins, 7 of which by way of knockout, after defeated veteran Indonesian Angky ?Time Bomb? Angkotta via a seven-round knockout in the main undercard of the Nietes-Fuentes fight last March 2. On his part, Guanzon said that he can?t recall any instance in his 56 years in boxing that such event happened in Bacolod? having 3 pro-boxing champions at the same time. ?This is very important for me and we?re very happy about it because 3 of the world champions of ALA stable, which is well-known if not in the whole Asia but in the Philippines, all came from Bacolod,? he stressed. ?We all know that the first world champion from Bacolod is Donnie (Nietes) followed by Merlito Sabillo and Genesis Servania ? in which I believed in a matter of time he will also be a world champion,? he added. Guanzon also cited that all these three boxers started their respective boxing careers with the Negros Amateur Boxing Association. ?I just discovered that Sabillo also had a short stint as an amateur boxer because most of his experience came from street fighting at the Central (public) Market,? the GAB head jokingly told the press. ?Servania, on the other hand, is the grandson of our longtime family chef ? but, likewise started his amateur boxing at NABA while, Donnie (Nietes) came from the family of boxers,? he added. Servania was discovered in the 1st Golden Gloves Monico Cup Inter-Barangay Amateur Boxing Tournament in 2008 after winning the title. Puentevella, meanwhile, stressed that this is a rare occasion in boxing history that Bacolod City able to produce three Filipino boxing champions at the same time. ?We salute all of them for their achievements as well as giving pride and honor to the city. We are looking forward that all these three boxing champions will also be fighting here in Bacolod,? the former solon said. Photo: WORLD CHAMPIONS. (from left) WBO Lightflyweight titlist Donnie ?Ahas? Nietes, newly-crowned WBO Interim-Minimumweight champion Merlito ?Tiger? Sabillo and WBO-OPBF Superflyweight holder Genesis Azukal? Servania during Friday?s press conference. Also present were MKK standard-bearer and former Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella (extreme left), GAB Chairman Juan Ramon ?Monju? Guanzon (2nd from right) and Sabillo?s father, Merlito Sr. (extreme right). (Paul Castillo Photo). Click here to view a list of other articles written by Jerome S. Galunan Jr..  |
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