Pinoy Donnie Nietes (left) and Mexican Raul Garcia (right) together during a press conference for the Pinoy Pride 36: A Legend in the Making at the L’Fisher Hotel in Bacolod City. (CDN PHOTO/LITO M. TECSON)
Bacolod—The rivalry between reigning WBO world light flyweight champion Donnie “Ahas” Nietes and challenger former world champion Raul “Rayito” Garcia is heating up just days before their fight.
Both clash in the main event of the Pinoy Pride 36: A Legend In the Making at the University of Saint La Salle stadium tomorrow.
Nietes (37-1-4, 21KOs) and Garcia (36-3-1, 22KOs) faced each other for the first time yesterday in a press conference at the L’Fisher Hotel here.
Garcia, twin brother of Ramon Garcia Hirales, whom Nietes defeated for the WBO world light flyweight title in 2011 at the same venue, vowed to exact revenge.
“He’s gonna say goodbye to his title,” Garcia said. “He beat my brother but I’m going to be the equalizer. I’m going to bring back the title to Mexico.”
But Nietes wasn’t worried. In fact, he was confident he was going to win via knockout.
“I’m one hundred percent prepared for this fight. I will do my best to knock him out but I can’t assure what round it will happen,” said Nietes, one of the three remaining Filipino boxing world champions who is a native of the municipality of Murcia in the outskirts of Bacolod City. The other current Filipino world champions are Nonito Donaire Jr. and the newly crowned IBF world flyweight champion John Riel Casimero.
SUPPORTING BOUTS
Another Ilonggo will be seeing action on Saturday in world title challenger “King” Arthur Villanueva (28-1-0, 14KOs), who will be fighting for the WBO Asia Pacific bantamweight title against Mexican Juan “El Peñita” Jimenez (22-9-0, 15KOs).
The Villanueva-Jimenez showdown was initially a non-title bout but it was moved to be the co-main event after former Mexican world champion Javier Mendoza backed out from a rematch against Milan Melindo because of an injury. That fight was supposed to be an IBF light flyweight eliminator.
Melindo (33-2-0, 12KOs) will instead fight replacement Maximino Flores (19-2-0, 13KOs).
Also featured in the fight card is Cebuano Kevin Jake Cataraja (3-0-0, 2KOs) of ALA Boxing Gym, who is set to fight Thai Chatchai Or Benjamas (5-7-0, 4KOs ). There will be four more bouts in the undercard.
The official weigh in of the fight card promoted by ALA Promotions International and ABS-CBN will be held at the Robinson’s Place Bacolod today.