BACOLOD CITY?World Boxing Organization miniflyweight king Donnie Nietes will try to make a statement as he joins the light flyweight division by demolishing Mexican Armando Vasquez in their 10-round main event of ?Pinoy Pride 5 ? Battle of Champions? at the University of St. La Salle Coliseum today.
Although Nietes (27-1-3, 15 KOs) has a clear advantage in all aspects, he isn?t taking any chances against the 24-year-old Mexicali native. However, he promised to send Vasquez (18-5, 4 KOs) to dreamland.
?I?ll analyze his game first,? said Nietes in the weigh-in yesterday at SM City Bacolod. ?I?ll knock him out in the seventh or eighth round but if I knock him out earlier, the better.?
The 28-year-old Bacolod City local is relieved to have finally been given a chance to fight in front of his hometown crowd after three grueling title defenses in Mexico in the past two years.
?I?m very happy that my fight is here and not in Mexico, not in my opponent?s hometown,? said Nietes, who hasn?t fought in Negros Occidental for almost four years.
Vasquez, on the other hand, preferred to do the talking inside the ring. However, he promised to give Nietes a run for his money.
?I don?t like to make a prediction. I?ll just stand there and do my work,? he said.
Vasquez admitted Nietes is the most talented boxer he has faced in his five-year career but he will give his all to try and upset the WBO mini-flyweight champion, who will be challenging the winner of interim WBO light flyweight clash between titleholder Jesus Geles and Ramon Garcia-Hirales in Mexico on April 30.
?I don?t see any weaknesses in Nietes. He?s fast and strong, and he?s a great fighter,? he said.
In the undercard, WBO Asia-Pacific Youth light welterweight champion Jason Pagara will face Deo Njiku, while Lorenzo Villanueva will defend his WBO Oriental featherweight title against Indonesian James Mokoginta.
Pan Asian Boxing Association bantamweight titlist Roli Gasca (15-1, 2 KOs) is also seeing action in the undercard against Thai Ngaotawan Sithsaithong (8-5-1, 4 KOs).
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on April 09, 2011.
