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CEBU CITY, Philippines – Like the best boxing champions, Donnie Nietes’ nickname Ahas – Tagalog for snake – was earned, not given.
Nietes, who started as the ALA Boxing Gym’s janitor, sweeping the floors of the open-aired sweat shop before becoming ALA’s first world champion, was one of the few fighters brave enough to walk among the gym’s 5 pythons to clean the snake pit.
Nietes is disarming and soft-spoken away from the ring. His smile and non-threatening posture is as welcoming as a tour guide to the tropical paradise where he makes his home.
But like a snake, Nietes is emotionless and efficient once inside the ring. He’s like an Asian Charles Bronson with gloves.
Nietes, deemed by The Ring magazine as the best fighter at 108 pounds in the world, is set to face former WBO/IBF strawweight titleholder Francisco Rodriguez at the Waterfront Hotel in Cebu City on Saturday, July 11.
Though rarely known to bloviate about his skills, Nietes let out a right cross and left uppercut on Thursday as he spoke about Saturday’s fight, his eighth defense of the WBO junior flyweight title.
“If I get a chance to, I will go for the knockout,” Nietes (35-1-4, 21 knockouts) says with a smile that curtains the violent implication of such a result.
In Rodriguez, Nietes, 33, of Murcia, Negros Occidental, Philippines faces a rare challenge – a fighter who is both a credible threat and recognized as so by the boxing world.
The 22-year-old Rodriguez (17-2-1, 11 KOs) of Monterrey, Mexico burst onto the world scene in 2014, dominating Nietes’ stablemate Merlito Sabillo to win the WBO strawweight title before annexing the IBF version of the title with a Fight of the Year caliber brawl with Katsunari Takayama.
Rodriguez’s star dimmed a bit when he drew with Filipino boxer Jomar Fajardo in November 2014, before he redeemed himself with a clear decision win in a rematch this past January.
“Whatever Rodriguez does – whether he boxes or brawls – I’ve prepared for that. I’m ready to rumble,” said Nietes, who is the lone remaining champion reigning in the Philippines.
Though he was fighting at 105 pounds just a year ago, Rodriguez hasn’t weighed in below 110 pounds in nearly a year. His cheeks appeared sucked in at Thursday’s press conference, and borrowed the gym’s scale to monitor his weight before Friday’s weigh-in.
“This fight is very important to us Filipinos and Donnie himself,” said Edito Villamor, one of Nietes’ trainers. “We prepared him well, and if he wins this fight, he is one the greatest fighters in his weight division.”
Edito Villamor won’t be in Nietes’ corner as he’s in Los Angeles preparing Arthur Villanueva for his fight with McJoe Arroyo in El Paso, Tex. on July 18. Villamor’s brother Edmund Villamor, who spends the most time working with Nietes, will handle the corner with former bantamweight fighter Michael Domingo.
Rodriguez will be the fifth former, current or future world champion that Nietes will face. Nietes is currently 11-0-1 (5 KOs) in world title fights, and has knocked out his last 4 opponents.
Nietes’ lone defeat came 11 years ago in Indonesia, when his opponent Angky Angkotta weighed in 6 pounds overweight and won a split decision.
Lacking in recognition, not respect
Nietes has been a champion for nearly 8 years across two separate divisions, making him the longest reigning champion in Philippine history.
Yet, despite his accomplishments and the respect he has earned from his peers and hardcore boxing enthusiasts around the world, he has never received the attention or exposure of Philippine boxing’s flag bearers Manny Pacquiao and Nonito Donaire Jr.
One reason is that he offers little verbally to grab the attention of the general public. Another is his division’s lack of appeal to American audiences and television networks. Up until recently, he appeared content to do just enough to win without taking risks.
Still, Nietes’ 5-foot-3 frame has managed to cast a shadow over the sport.
“Donnie’s already up there,” said 4-division champion Donaire Jr, when asked whether Nietes deserves to be considered one of the Philippines’ greatest boxers. “You don’t become world champion and keep your belt and not be up there.”
Donaire, who is also training at the ALA Gym for his July 18 fight against Anthony Settoul in Macau, says Nietes has long been respected by fellow fighters; it’s just taken time for the public to catch on.
“For fighters, he’s always been on that radar. It’s just that people haven’t seen what he’s capable of, and I know he’s capable of beating a lot of these guys.”
Donaire believes that true international stardom will come for Nietes if he were ever to defeat flyweight champion Roman Gonzalez (43-0, 37 KOs) of Nicaragua, whose knockout power earned him a showcase on U.S. network HBO in his most recent fight.
“I think he has a good chance with Roman, and Roman has a big name,” said Donaire.
A win over Rodriguez will go a long way towards enhancing his reputation as one of the best fighters ever from the Philippines – and in the sport’s lower weight classes.
None of that matters to Nietes, however. He’s only focused on getting the job done on Saturday night.
“My legacy is not important. What’s written in the history books doesn’t matter to me. What I’m capable of and what I can do as a boxer is what’s important to me. Nothing more.”
– Rappler.com
Ryan Songalia is the sports editor of Rappler, a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) and a contributor to The Ring magazine. He can be reached at ryan.songalia@rappler.com. Follow him on Twitter: @RyanSongalia.
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