CEBU, Philippines ? Francisco Rodriguez Jr., the former WBO and IBF minimumweight champion from Mexico, only had one wish as he celebrated his 22nd birthday yesterday.
?I?m going home with the title,? said Rodriguez, who climbs the ring at the Waterfront Hotel tonight to challenge Donnie Nietes, the longest-reigning Filipino boxing champion.
?Nietes is old. I?m young,? the bullish Mexican, through an interpreter, also said, referring to the 33-year-old Nietes, a world champion for over seven years now.
Nietes has not tasted defeat since September 2004 when he lost to Indonesian Angky Angkota in a non-title fight staged at the RCTI Studios in Jakarta.
?It?s time,? said Rodriguez, who was presented a birthday cake by his handlers after yesterday?s official weigh-in in one of the major shopping malls here.
Rodriguez had difficulty making weight. On his first try, he was a pound over the limit of 108. He took off his trunks and, naked, made weight. Sportshub ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1
The crowd jeered.
His handlers needed to spread a white bath towel in front of him to give the boyish-looking Mexican some sense of privacy in front of the spectators.
After making weight, Rodriguez had to rehydrate quickly, finishing a bottle of energy drink and a can of Coke one after the other.
An hour later, he was spotted having steak at a grill restaurant inside the SM Mall. It was birthday lunch for the Mexican challenger.
Nietes was on the dot as he stepped on the weighing scale, and smiled when asked what he thought about Rodriguez almost failing to make weight.
?Baka kulang sa ensayo (Maybe he didn?t train enough),? said Nietes, defending his title for the seventh time.
Nietes finds Rodriguez a little too cocky when during Thursday?s press conference the Mexican boxer who once defeated Pinoy champion Merlito Sabillo talked a lot.
?Sobra yabang (He?s too cocky),? said Nietes as he slowly tried to finish a bowl of rice porridge inside his dressing room.
?Pero hanggang yabang lang ?yan (But that?s as far as he can go),? said Nietes, who had the WBO and The Ring championship belts over his shoulders before and after the weigh-in.
?Babasagin ko ang mukha niya (I will break his face),? Nietes had told someone the night before.
In simple rites, Nietes was presented a diamond ring by WBO president Francisco ?Paco? Valcarcel and WBO vice president for Asia Pacific, Leon Panoncillo.
The ring had everything on it, including emerald and ruby.
?You deserve this ring, one that was also presented to great champions like Oscar dela Hoya, Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez,? said Valcarcel.
?Donnie, you are in good company,? the boxing chief said.
