Nietes out to prove a point

MANILA, Philippines - WBO minimumweight champion Donnie (Ahas) Nietes of Murcia, Negros Occidental, treads on dangerous waters as he stakes his crown in the hometown of challenger Mario (Dragoncito) Rodriguez at the Auditorio Luis Estrada Medina in Guasave, Sinaloa, Mexico on Sunday morning (Manila time).

 It will be Nietes’ third title defense in Mexico after turning back challengers Erik Ramirez and Manuel Vargas. If Nietes retains the crown, he will be close to staying on the WBO throne for three years, chasing former WBC featherweight champion Luisito Espinosa’s record of longevity as the second longest reigning Filipino titlist in history. Espinosa held the WBC diadem for three years and five months, taking the belt from Manuel Medina in December 1995 and losing it in his eighth defense to Cesar Soto in May 1999. Flash Elorde is the record holder for reigning seven years and three months as world junior lightweight ruler up to 1967.

Jesus Salud was incorrectly credited for reigning over six years as WBA superbantamweight champion by record keepers. He actually held the title less than five months after being stripped for refusing to defend the title against mandatory No. 1 Colombian contender Luis Mendoza in April 1990.

“Donnie wanted the fight in Mexico,” said his manager Michael Aldeguer, president of ALA Boxing. “He’s out to prove something because he knows that in spite of being a world champion, he isn’t getting the recognition and prominence he deserves. No other Filipino has won and defended a world title twice in Mexico and Donnie wants to make it three in a row. He is that determined.”

Nietes, 28, claimed the vacant WBO 105-pound title by outpointing Thailand’s unbeaten Pornsawan Kratingdaeng-Gym in Cebu City in 2007 and has since repulsed challengers Eddy Castro of Nicaragua, Ramirez and Vargas. He’s coming off a 10th round stoppage of Mexico’s Jesus Silvestre in a non-title fight last January. His record is 26-1-3, with 15 KOs and the only blemish a loss by split decision to Indonesia’s Angky Angkota in Jakarta in 2004.

Rodriguez, 21, is ranked No. 10 by the WBO and hasn’t lost in his last five outings – Nietes hasn’t been beaten in his last 17. His record is 10-5-3, with seven KOs. Five of his seven KO wins came within two rounds, indicating he’s a strong starter and eight of his 10 victories were registered in Sinaloa. Rodriguez is a protégé of Mexican legend Erik Morales who is co-promoting Nietes’ defense with Uruguayan matchmaker Sampson (Picasso) Lewkowicz and ALA Boxing.

Nietes left the country with trainer Edmund Villamor to wind up his training at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles last July 31. He travels to Sinaloa on Wednesday.

“I hope that with our dwindling number of world champions, our countrymen should be made aware that out there in hostile territory, a Filipino titleholder is fighting for the glory and honor of our country,” said Aldeguer. “Nietes is not a Manny Pacquiao but nevertheless, he is still a Filipino world boxing champion. He is our pride and needs our support.”

Hoping to make a career in boxing, Nietes worked his way into the pros circuitously. He worked at the ALA gym in Cebu as a janitor and after sweeping the floor, cutting grass and feeding owner Tony Aldeguer’s pet snakes, kept a close eye on fighters training in the facility and secretly did his own routine.

When he was 12, Nietes was introduced to boxing by his uncle Dan who was once the Philippine flyweight champion and an ALA fighter. After finishing high school, Nietes left the sugarcane fields of Murcia to try his luck in boxing in Cebu. But he wasn’t impressive in tryouts at the ALA gym, settling for a job as janitor. Nietes persevered and on weekends, fought in the amateur “Boxing at the Park” series, eventually gaining recognition to join the ALA simonpure team. In 2003, Nietes turned pro and is now one of only two reigning Filipino world boxing champions with Pacquiao.

With his ring earnings, Nietes has built his own house in Cebu on a property that Aldeguer gave him as a reward for winning the WBO title.

The GMA Network recently signed Nietes to a contract for his fights to be shown on TV. “This will impact such a fighter like Nietes who has been unfairly under the radar considering his accomplishments not only for himself but for the Philippines,” noted an ALA press release. “Nietes is still working hard and strong, vowing to do all he can to remain a champion in the sport that gave him a decent life. He is very thankful and excited to work with the GMA network.”

Nietes got his nickname Ahas for taking care of Aldeguer’s pythons. Brushing off several snake bites, he was the only janitor in the gym with the guts to feed the pythons. One day, a python laid 11 eggs and only one survived to become Nietes’ own personal pet. When Nietes enters the ring to fight, the python is curled around his body like the legendary wrestler Jake (The Snake) Roberts during his mat career. But Nietes brings the snake only to his Cebu fights – no airline will allow it on a flight, certainly not to Mexico.