Sports: Nietes Retains Crown; Servania new WBC Superbantam Champ
PASAY CITY - Murcia-born WBO Jr.flyweight champion Donnie "Ahas" Nietes of the ALA Gym retained his title in the first defense against highly touted Mexican challenger Felipe Salguero via unanimous decision even as Bacoleño Genesis Servania crowned himself the new WBC International Silver-Super Bantamweight champion scoring a 12th round knockout against the real Genaro "El Poblanito" Garcia of Mexico as the other Negrense boxers won their respective matches in the ALA Pomoted-ABS-CBN "PINOY Pride XlV" Night of Champions held at the plush Resorts World Hotel in Manila, here Saturday night.
Nietes relied on his vast experience and precision punching with mostly avoiding the aggression of Salguero, NO. 7 in the WBO ranking, from start to finish which showed a different Nietes who seems sluggish when he wrested the title from another Mexican Ramon Garcia Hirales last October 2011 at University of St. La Salle in Bacolod City.
Salguero kept pressing Nietes whose lateral movements and uncanny ability to slip the punches of the Mexican and counter with crispy punches hitting its target through uppercuts and overhand right to the face of his opponent, causing a cut on Salguero’s left eyebrow in the eighth round.
The judges had it closer at 115-113, 116-112 and 116-112 with Salguero even raising the hands of Nietes during the announcement of the result. Murcia mayor Andrew Montelibano was in attendance to give some moral boost to Nietes along with his uncle Dan and some Negrenses led by GAB Chairman Monju Guanzon and journalists from Bacolod City.
Nietes, the former WBO Minimumweight world champion before he moved weight, may have been inspired by other Negrense boxers triumph earlier.
Bacoleño and a product of Negros Amateur Boxing Association (NABA) boxing program headed by Guanzon, Genesis "Azukal" Servania of famed ALA Boxing stable won the World Boxing Council International Silver-Super Bantamweight title over Garcia via knockout in the 12th round.
Servania stunned Garcia on several occasions with well-placed hooks to the body and head. But headbutts inflicted on Servania’s right eyebrow in the fifth and left in the ninth angered Servania who retaliated, charging Garcia in several occasions. It was good for Servania when the physician that examine his cuts gave a go signal that he can continue the fight.
The World Boxing Council ruled the scores can be read after the 4th and 8th round which showed Servania leading,- 78-73, 77-74 and 76-75. Garcia was ahead on one judge 104-103 prior to the stoppage, while two judges had Servania leading 105-102.
Servania (18W-0L-6 KO’s) nailed Garcia with some perfectly timed hooks to the body behind a stinging jab and vicious uppercuts and in the dramatic 12th ound, a sharp flurry stunned Garcia, sending him down. He got up but another barrage sent him reeling and referee Bruce McTavish waived it off as he hit the canvas the second time, timed at 2:02 seconds. Garcia, seconds immediately entered the ring seeing his boxer going down before McTavish counted it out.
Servania was not awed by the reputation or the bravado of Garcia who had predicted he would win by a knockout. But Garcia wondered aloud why such a young fighter was matched against an experienced three time world title challenger who had beaten five world champions and vowed to "take him (Servania) to school," only to discover that the promising youngster from the famed ALA Gym was much better than him.
Meanwhile, Milan "Metodico" Melindo stopped former World champion Jesus Geles of Columbia in the first round and added the newly minted WBO International flyweight belt.
He floored the overweight Geles with a flurry of right hook in the left rib in the neutral corner and was counted by referee Danrex Tapdasan but gamely beat the count to continue the fight only to absorb the beating, forcing Tapdasan to stop the fight at 2.21 seconds of the first round.
Geles was three pounds overweight and if he beat Melindo that night, the title will become vacant.
The win placed the undefeated Melindo (27-1, 11 KO’s) who is the WBO No.1 ranked fighter on a collision course with reigning flyweight champion Brian Viloria also of the Philippines in what could well be a historic first in terms of two Filipinos battling for a world title if ever they cross path.
In the undercard bouts; Negrense boxer Arthur "El Matador" Villanueva, former RP Flyweight champion who moved weight higher, fought through his own blood to win by split eight round decision against the rough and tough and dirty boxer Jeffrey Cerna, also a former WBO champion,who was later called by spectators as "El Toro" because of his fighting style of attacking his opponent head first. The judges scored 76-75 for Cerna, while two judges scored 77-74 for Villanueva in the 115- pound division.
Ralph Lulu of Toledo City defeated younger Boyce Sultan who is only 18 years old of Zamboanga Del Norte in 8 rounds of 122 lbs. The scores were all for Lulu at 78-74, 79-72 and 76-75, but Zultan was cheered for bravely standing his ground and fighting heart against the 21-year old Lulu.
Negrense Juren Labordo won by unanimous decision against Fel Morales in four round action at 112lbs. The three judges’ scorecards read 40-36 for Labordo. Another Toledo City boxer, Arjan Canillas beat Warren Magbuanag of Manda-luyong by majority decision in 6 rounds action of the 126 lbs. The scores 57-57, 58-55 and 58-56.
In the opening bout of the evening, Eljohn Evangelista of Manila traded knockdowns with Takaoki Noma of Japan in the first round with the Filipino winning by unanimous decision - 39-37, 40-37 and 39-37 in 4 rounds action in the 1222 lbs.*
