IT COULDN?T have happened to a more deserving fighter. Last Saturday, efore a vocal and approving crowd, Donnie Nietes rewrote history and became the longest reigning Filipino world champion by defeating Mexican challenger Carlos Velarde via TKO in the 8th round.
As of this writing, the record of 7 years, one month and 15 days held by Gabriel Elorde of Bogo City, Cebu still stands but as Nietes is not scheduled or required to fight in the next few months, said record will fall come January of next year.
THE FIGHT. From the start, the difference in style and championship poise was apparent and Nietes immediately made Velarde miss and pay with counters.
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His jab was also a potent weapon and by the fourth round, red welts appeared on the youthful Velarde?s face.
For his part, Velarde kept things honest by landing his fair share of clubbing shots and at times he thwarted Nietes? offense by coming in close and trying to make it a phone-booth brawl.
But Nietes wisely made subtle adjustments by ducking low and using lateral movement.
The cut was purportedly due to an accidental head-butt as ruled by the referee, but at ringside where I was seated next to sports doyen John Pages, I thought a right hand was the culprit.
Whatever it was, it was enough to cause the denouement of the fight, and the rest is now history.
THE ONE. Michael Aldeguer of ALA Promotions and his father, Antonio- a revered cult figure in local boxing could not have imagined that one day, a humble, smallish, soft- spoken janitor in their gym would one day do them proud and prove to be the most accomplished boxer their boxing stable would ever produce.
No amount of prescient knowledge could have predicted that he was to be the one.
More popular names have donned the ALA boxing colors, but none have proven to be more prolific than the Murcia, Bacolod native Nietes.
It is even said that Nietes even mirrors the late ?Flash? Elorde in so many ways, particularly in their common ilk of humility, patience and perseverance.
I recall that Donnie was the first ever boxer I chose to feature in a one-on- one format when this column was in its infancy and that was before he would go on to covet ALA gym?s first ever world title.
In certain ways, I would like to think that this column has grown in stature much like the way Donnie has found success in his fistic endeavors.
From that seminal moment in 2007, I have chronicled his arduous, and at times perilous climb to pugilistic success, and am proud to have been part of the journey. Cheers to you, champ!
PACQUIAO-ALGIERI. We are just a few days away from Chris Algieri?s date with destiny.
I recently watched HBO?s 24/7 documentary for this fight and I must say, the kid talks a lot.
Of course, he?s college educated hence, the articulation and intelligence. Hell, he even built his own six-bedroom home and so he certainly possesses engineering acumen.
But guess what? Something just doesn?t seem right. Nothing against Algieri who seems to be the nicest kid in the world, but Marvin Hagler wasn?t exactly glib.
The greats in boxing didn?t talk much. Roberto Duran snarled. Mike Tyson sneered.
Muhammad Ali was probably the only exception.
Algieri certainly seems pretty articulate and proficient at explaining the nuances of the fight science and even has instructional videos on YouTube about fighting.
But to me, there is something so natural and savage about fighting that the great ones couldn?t even explain how they did it. They just did through instinct and fistic intuition.
Don?t miss my 3 possible scenarios in this Sunday?s column.
LAST ROUNDS. Are on my sis-in-law, Atty Rene Chanco, my Super idols teammate, Atty Jemil Marquez and MTCC Talisay Branch 2?s Clerk of Court Titing de Jesus who are celebrating their birthdays this week. Cheers!
(Follow me on Twitter @thelastround)
