ALA pug’s fight with Mexican challenger Fuentes ends in a draw

Donnie “Ahas” Nietes achieved his goal of keeping his world title belt, but not in the way he wanted it to happen.

Nietes retained his World Boxing Organization (WBO) light flyweight crown but had to settle for a majority draw against the tough Mexican opponent Moises “The Baby-Faced Assassin” Fuentes , a world champion himself, in the main event of the Pinoy Pride 18: World Champion vs. World Champion, Saturday night at the Pacific Grand Ballroom of the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino.

Two judges, Adelaide Byrd and Pat Rusell, each scored the bout at 114-114, while Filipino judge Danrex Tapdasan had it 115-113 for Nietes.

Both fighters claimed victory and both are willing to meet each other again to settle the score.

“I really think I won the fight,” said Nietes, who improved to 31W-1L-4D-17KOs. “There were times when I thought he was going down but he kept on coming back. He’s a tough fighter but I think I did just enough to win the fight.”

Michael Aldeguer, president/CEO of ALA Promotions, agreed with his ward.

“If you look at the fight, Fuentes was the aggressor but it was Donnie who had the clear punches,” said Aldeguer. “I was surprised with the decision but they (judges) have their own opinion. We have to respect the decision.”

Fuentes’ camp reportedly claimed that Nietes only won three rounds. The Mexican is open for a rematch and would prefer to have it held in Mexico.

rematch?

“I am willing to face him again but I am not sure if I would allow to have the fight held in Mexico. It’s 50-50,” said Nietes, who successfully defended the title thrice in Mexico.

“Let’s see how the negotiation goes. Let’s see if we can put things together for a rematch,” said Aldeguer.

The two fighters followed their game-plan to the letter.

Nietes circled around the ring a lot, seemingly aware of the opponent’s lack of footwork. Fuentes (26W-1L-1D-20KOs) went for the body with regularity, hoping it would tire out Nietes in the later rounds, especially that the ALA Gym fighter has had a history of fading in the home stretch.

“We studied his previous fights. He struggles when his opponent moves a lot,” said Nietes.

Both fighters started slow as there was minimal action in the first round.

Action picked up in the second round with Fuentes tagging Nietes with solid body shots. Nietes tried to negate the body attacks by ducking to protect his ribcage while unleashing overhand rights and right hooks. In the same round, referee Jack Reiss urged Nietes to avoid ducking too low.

Nietes’ overhand and right hooks continued to connect in the third. Fuentes had a bruised left eye at the end of the round.

Fuentes continued stalking Nietes in the fifth but he was tagged with a solid right hook. The blow wobbled the Mexican and it was the only time that he back pedaled.

For a moment, the table was turned when Nietes started moving forward to go for the kill.

Fuentes survived the beating and seemed to gain an advantage in the sixth when Nietes sustained two nasty cuts in his eyebrows.

The cut in the left eye was caused by an accidental clash of heads while the other was due to a punch.

Nietes fought the rest of the way with his left eyebrow bleeding profusely.

The crowd became restless when Nietes showed signs of slowing down in the seventh and eighth rounds.

Nietes started to run around the ring a lot in the seventh round and it frustrated Fuentes. At one point, Fuentes just stood in the middle of the ring, put his hands down and begged the Ilonggo to engage him.

“I was just pacing myself,” said Nietes of his lack of activity in the seventh and eighth rounds.

Nietes went back to work in the ninth, atoning himself from a so-so showing in the seventh and eighth rounds.

Nietes’ one-two combo to the head found its target in the last three rounds, which might have helped him keep his belt.

Shortly after the scorecards were announced, Mexican boxing legend Marco Antonio Barrera, whose brother Jorge is the trainer/manager of Fuentes, was seen engaging Leon Panoncillo, WBO Asia Pacific vice president, in an animated conversation on top of the ring.

“I cannot say for myself who won but I can say it could have gone either way. It was a close fight. A draw is a perfect result for this fight,” Panoncillo said. “They can have a rematch if they want to.”