FOLLOWING a couple of postponements, the clash between ex-world champion Donnie Nietes and World Boxing Organization light flyweight king Ramon Garcia is finally set.
Garcia and Nietes will face off in a 12-round world title bout in the main event of ?Pinoy Pride 9? on Oct. 8 at the University of St. La Salle Gym in Bacolod City.
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Garcia, 28, made the fight official after signing the contract this week.
The 29-year-old Nietes, 28-1-3 with 16 knockouts, is gunning for his second division world title after relinquishing his WBO mini flyweight crown.
Although the fight has been pushed back a couple of months from the original July date, ALA Promotions President Michael Aldeguer believes that the long lay-off won?t be a factor in the fight.
?It didn?t affect him as he is still in light training. Donnie is also a veteran who knows how to adjust. He went through worse scenarios in Mexico. He knows this is his chance to make history and be part of a huge sporting event in Bacolod that could even be the biggest boxing event held in the Philippines this year,? he said.
Garcia, who is the brother of WBO mini flyweight titlist Raul Garcia, won the WBO title after beating Jesus Geles by a fourth-round stoppage last April in Mexico.
On the other hand, after an eighth-round technical decision win over cocky Canadian Tyson Cave last month in Lapu-Lapu City, AJ Banal will immediately return to the ring in the co-main event of ?Pinoy Pride 9.?
Banal is eager to return and impress the fans once again after his fight with Cave turned out to be a boring and frustrating one. This will be a crucial bout for the 22-year-old Banal as a win could earn him another crack at his only tormentor Rafael Concepcion in a possible rematch on Jan. 28.
?We would want someone to give AJ a tough fight and test him if he is ready for Rafael Concepcion. The fight with Cave was a disappointment because Cave did not come to fight as expected and the fight did not give AJ anything. Cave had a good record and had three regional belts. It was too bad he did not come to fight and instead AJ got cut and fans went home disappointed. AJ needs a real fight to test him if he is ready for Concepcion,? said Aldeguer.
Banal, whose opponent is yet to be announced, suffered a huge gash on top of his right eye compliments from Cave?s head, however, the physician has given him the nod for the October fight because the cut would be healed by that time.
