THE fight is going to happen barely a week from now but already, there is so much interest in it. It is not so much over how the defending champion would try to dispose of his challenger but rather, on how a shield of his would be used ?to the hilt? to deflect defeat.
What could possibly be that weapon of his? Will it be legal? If you say, ?Is a puzzlement,? I can?t blame you. But read on, please.
In golf, there are prescribed specs of golf clubs to be used. In boxing, too, there are gloves that are legal and illegal, hand tapes that are allowed and disallowed.
But have you seen a fighter who uses another arsenal to parry punches other than his fists, arms and elbows?
No, that man is not Floyd Mayweather Jr., who used his two hands a while back to unleash a 1-2 combination that knocked out a foe (Victor Ortiz) that wasn?t looking, who was talking to the referee, when the knockout blows came thundering to his face.
Sadly, Mayweather got away with crime.
This boxer I am referring to now who has a weapon so possibly venomous but invisible, though, is Donnie Nietes, one of the gallant products of the famed ALA Stable of Cebu.
A world champ at age 30, Nietes will defend his WBO light-flyweight crown against Felipe Salguerro (16-1-3) of Mexico. Nieves won his title last year by a unanimous decision over Ramon Garcia Hirales in Bacolod City.
Nietes has an armor that he does not carry into the ring. He has not actually used it in the strictest sense of the word in his 33 previous fights (30-1-2) and yet, said armor he wraps it around his neck when off the ring.
But in the ring, Nietes has it ? invisibly, that is.
That armor is none other than his snake. Live. He carries it with him wherever he goes, except in some malls where pets aren?t allowed.
It has been Nietes? talisman all this time, his ?lucky charm.? He loves his snake so much he sleeps with it most of the time. I wonder if that?s an issue at all with his wife.
I?ll go watch the fight on June 2 at Resort World Pasay ? and ask Nietes? wife about it.
This time, the fight becomes secondary.
