From left, Edmund Villamor, Edito Villamor, Mark “Magnifico” Magsayo, Donnie Nietes, Jeo “Santino” Santisima and Michael Domingo gather after a press conference at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino.
CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON
Trainer confident Nietes will dominate Thai opponent in Pinoy Pride 40 fight card
With about a month to go before fight night, Donnie “Ahas” Nietes has already completed more than half of his training camp.
With this, the camp of the two-division champion is confident that their ward is ready for his IBF world flyweight title showdown against Thai ranked no. 4 Komgrich Nantapech in the main event of the Pinoy Pride 40: Donnie-Nation. The fight is slated April 29 at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino.
Edmund Villamor of ALA Boxing Gym said Nietes, who sports a 39-1-4 (win-loss-draw) record with 22 knockout wins, has already completed sixty percent of his training within a month.
“We are confident that Donnie will be hundred percent ready ahead of our schedule,” Villamor said in the launching of the fight card at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino yesterday. “He showed tremendous improvement in both his skills particularly his speed and power so I am confident that he will dominate this fight.”
The training camp at the ALA Boxing Gym in Barangay Talamban, Cebu City saw Nietes sparring with up-and-coming boxers such as Esneth Domingo, Christian Bacolod and Virgel Vitor.
Sparring with these younger boxers just made Nietes even more confident.
“Just like what I have said earlier, I may be aging but my body is getting younger,” Nietes said. “Nantapech is a hard-hitting boxer who is very tough to be taken down so I will be very cautious in this fight and all I can promise is a great fight and if I have a chance to knock him out, then I will do it.”
Nantapech has a record of 22 (15KOs)-3-0.
If he wins against Nantapech, Nietes said he is planning to pursue Chinese boxing superstar Zou Shiming for the latter’s WBO world flyweight title or defend the IBF world flyweight title.
“I want to unify the titles in this division before I climb to another division,” said Nietes.
Fighting in the main supporting bouts are WBO International featherweight champion Mark “Magnifico” Magsayo (15-0-0,11KOs) and Jeo “Santino” Santisima (12-2-0,11KOs). Magsayo takes on Tanzanian boxer Issa Nampepeche (24-7-4, 11KOs) while Santisima squares off against Master Suro (11-8-1, 2KOs) of Indonesia.
Tickets for the fight card are available at the venue, ALA Fitness Boxing Gym outlets, RD Pawnshop outlets, Ayala Center Cebu concierge and at the ALA Promotions International office.