FILIPINO pride Donnie “Ahas” Nietes displayed his usual deadly form on Saturday night, retaining his World Boxing Organization (WBO) light-flyweight belt against Raul Garcia of Mexico via an emphatic fifth-round technical knockout before his hometown crowd in Saint La Salle Coliseum in Bacolod City.
The 33-year-old fighter from Murcia, Negros Occidental, knocked down his Mexican challenger twice in the third round, and in the fifth round unleashed the punishing blows that Garcia failed to answer to remain the country’s longest-reigning world champion as he defended his crown for the ninth consecutive time.
“First round pa lang alam ko na makukuha ko ang knockout. Ginamitan ko lang siya ng timing para makuha ko siya,” Nietes said after the bout, as he improved to 38 wins and one loss, with 22 knockouts (KOs). Garcia, meanwhile, absorbed his fourth loss against 38 wins and one draw.
History repeated on Saturday, as Raul’s twin brother, Ramon Garcia Hirales, bowed to Nietes in 2011 for the same WBO 108-pound belt via unanimous decision.
“Dati gusto ko ng impressive na panalo. Ngayon nagawa ko na,” Nietes added.
In the undercard matches, Arthur Villanueva (29-1, 15 KOs) reduced Mexican Juan Jimenez (22-10, 15 KOs) into pieces, as he scored a fourth-round knockout of their bantamweight match.
It was a controversial win for the Bago City boxing prospect, as he unintentionally sneaked a head butt that sent his opponent kissing the canvas in the fourth round. The referee counted out Jimenez, who needed an oxygen support to get back on his feet.
Milan Melindo (33-2, 12 KOs), on the other hand, scored a technical unanimous decision win over Maximino Flores (19-2, 13 KOs) of Mexico.
The match was stopped in the seventh round, after Melindo sustained a large cut in his eyebrow from head collisions. Melindo won it in the scorecards, 69-64, 68-65 and 67-66.