FIGHTING in the shadows of his more popular compatriots Manny Pacquiao and Nonito Donaire Jr., Donnie Nietes is beginning to make a name for himself and gaining more fans in the process after yet another fruitful year.
The soft-spoken Murcia native has solidified his legacy as one of the best fighters to ever come out from the Philippines, maybe up there with the likes of Pacquiao, Donaire Jr., Gabriel “Flash” Elorde and Pancho Villa, to name a few of the Filipino greats. He has also proven that he’s one of the superstars of boxing’s lower weight divisions along with pound-for-pound king Roman Gonzalez and Juan Francisco Estrada.
Nietes officially became the longest reigning Filipino world champion early at the end of 2014, solidified his claim as the best 108-pounder of the world and for most of the year represented the Philippines as its only world champion.
“Yes it was a great year because up until now I’m still a world champion and I think I performed well this year,” said the ever-humble Nietes.
Debut
Indeed, he has performed well. The 33-year-old Nietes, who started out as a janitor at the ALA Gym, officially surpassed Elorde as the longest reigning Filipino world champion on the first month of the year. He is currently a world champion for eight years and two months.
“Yes he is (one of the best Filipino fighters), eight years is hard to beat. We need to look for a boxer that will beat that, like Manny’s eight divisions, it is hard to beat,” said Nietes’ coach Edmund Villamor.
Nietes made his first title defense of 2015 on March 28 in a huge card alongside Donaire Jr. at the historic Araneta Coliseum. He stopped challenger Gilberto Parra in the ninth round.
Nietes’ next assignment, former mini-flyweight world champion Francisco Rodriguez, on June 11 at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino should have been his toughest. However, he cruised to a one-sided unanimous verdict that further solidified his claim as the best light flyweight in the world.
Nietes capped of his year with his much-anticipated US debut in ALA Promotions’ first US show, Pinoy Pride 33, on Oct. 17 at the StubHub Center in Carson, California. He battered a tough and game challenger Juan Alejo to a lopsided unanimous decision.
After that win, he was elevated by the World Boxing Organization (WBO) as a Super Champion, a distinction only given to the best champions of the organization – the likes of Pacquiao Sergio Kovalev, Wladimir Klitschko, Mario Huck and Omar Narvaez.
“Donnie proved that he is in a different level with all he has accomplished, to be a world champ for eight years is a feat itself, the way he beat former world champs Moises Fuentes and Francisco Rodriguez has made him a class on his own. He was also elevated to Super Champion. We hope to give him bigger fights in 2016,” said ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer.
Branching out
ALA Promotions has been very busy in the international market in 2015, holding two shows outside the country. One was in the US and the other was its second show in Dubai. ALA Promotions plans to promote four events in the US and also more shows in the Middle East in 2016.
Fighting under the radar to casual boxing fans, one Cebu-based boxer positioned himself for a world title shot next year.
Marlon Tapales earned mandatory status after scoring a second round technical knockout upset over erstwhile unbeaten Shohei Omori just last Dec. 16. He earned the rights to challenge the winner of the fight between current WBO bantamweight champion Pungluang Sor Singyu and Filipino Jetro Pabustan.
However, it wasn’t all smiles for Cebu-based boxers with Milan Melindo and Arthur Villanueva losing both their title bids by controversial fashion.
Melindo dropped a sixth technical decision to International Boxing Federation (IBF) light flyweight titleholder Javier Mendoza in Mexico and Villanueva lost by a 10th round technical decision in the hands of McJoe Arroyo for the vacant IBF super flyweight strap in Texas.
