Donnie “Ahas” Nietes is flanked by his trainers, brothers Edmund (left) and Edito (right) Villamor when all three were still connected with the world-famous ALA Boxing Gym.. | CDN File Photo.
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Veteran boxing trainer Edmund Villamor, the trusted cornerman of four-division world champion and longest-reigning Filipino boxing world champion Donnie “Ahas” Nietes, assured Filipino boxing fans that his ward is well-prepared for his comeback fight in Dubai, UAE.
Nietes is scheduled to fight Colombian Pablo “El Trencido” Carillo for the vacant WBO International Super Flyweight title in the undercard of Carl Frampton and Jamel Herring world title showdown at the Caesar’s Palace Dubai on April 3, 2021.
Villamor told CDN Digital that they already figured out the style and the signature punch of the Colombian opponent. He said that they immediately reviewed the fight tapes of Carillo after Nietes’s promoters from D4G Promotions announced that they were changing the latter’s opponent two weeks ago.
“Paghatag nila ug bag-o nga kontra amo dayon gi studyhan ang style ug ang favorite punch,” said Villamor.
“Si Donnie (Nietes) dali ra ni siya maka adjust. Mao nga tan-aw gyud dayon mi sa duwa sa kontra. Nindot pud among training para ani nga fight.”
Villamor and Nietes arrived in Dubai, UAE, last March 30, 2021, and are currently wrapping up their training camp at the Round 10 Boxing Gym.
For Villamor, he is as excited and ecstatic as Nietes to step inside the ring after a two-year and three months hiatus. The last time Nietes and Villamor teamed up was on New Year’s Eve of 2018.
At that time, they were both fighting under the famed ALA Boxing Gym, which was disbanded in 2020. Villamor was Nietes’ cornerman when the latter won the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) world super flyweight title against Japanese Kazuto Ioka via split decision in Macao, China.
“Excited ug happy kaayo ko nga maka corner ug balik ni Donnie. Happy kaayo ko nga iyaha ko gipili gihapon as a trainer,” said Villamor.
Nietes spent most of his training in Edmund’s boxing gym, the Villamor Brothers Boxing Gym in Mandaue City. It is co-owned by Edmund’s brother Edito Villamor, ALA Boxing Gym’s former chief trainer and matchmaker.
The 38-year old Nietes, a proud son of Murcia, Negros Occidental, remained active in boxing despite his long lay-off, thanks to the Villamor brothers’ help.
Despite being confident of winning the bout, Villamor said they would be very cautious with Carillo, an orthodox boxer who is not an easy opponent to deal with.
Nietes holds a record of 42 wins, one defeat, five draws with 23 knockouts. Carillo has a record of 25-7-1 (win-loss-draw) with 16 knockouts.
Carillo has fought tooth and nail against Nietes’s two fiercest adversaries in Ioka and Mexican Francisco Rodriguez Jr. in 2014 and 2018, respectively. He lost both fights.
“Dili siya basta basta nga kontra kay naka fight na siya nilang Ioka (Kazuto) ug Rodriguez (Francisco) nga parehong nahimong world champion,” said Villamor. /rcg