BACOLOD CITY, Philippines - Donnie Nietes got the spectacular hometown title defense he had always wanted as he beat-up Mexico's Raul Garcia into submission after 5 rounds at the University of St La Salle Coliseum in Bacolod City, Philippines on Saturday, May 28.
Nietes (38-1-4, 22 knockouts) dropped Garcia (38-4-1, 23 KOs) twice in round 3, with the first knockdown coming after stunning the southpaw with a left hook and following with an insurance right hand punch to the body. Garcia remained on unsteady legs the rest of the round, going down again from a body punch. Nietes couldn't miss from that point on, and Garcia's corner wisely elected to throw in the towel between rounds.
Garcia, 33, of La Paz, Mexico had previously held the IBF and WBO strawweight titles, and loses by knockout for the first time in his 12-year career.
It was Nietes' first fight in his home province of Negros Occidental in 5 years, when he won a close decision against Garcia's twin brother Ramon in the same building. The inconclusive ending in 2011 left Nietes with something on his bucket list to accomplish, which the Garcia knockout crossed out.
WATCH: Donnie Nietes - The Fifth Round Knock Out Win
"I am very happy because I was able to fulfill my promise to my countrymen," said Nietes, 34, who grew up in nearby Murcia.
"In the first round coach [Edmund Villamor] and I were looking whether I can handle Garcia’s power. I was looking for the right timing so within 3 or 4 rounds I got to him. I said to myself 'I can knock him out."
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Nietes, who has now successfully defended his world title 9 times, could enter the mix for bigger fights 4 pounds north at flyweight, where WBC flyweight champ Roman Gonzalez and WBA/WBO unified titleholder Juan Francisco Estrada would present lucrative challenges for the 34-year-old Filipino.
First he must get past a September 24 mandatory defense against against Moises Fuentes, a former titleholder whom Nietes had knocked out in 2014 following a draw in their first meeting the year before. That fight is a "done deal" for the StubHub Center in Carson, California, Nietes' promoter Michael Aldeguer of ALA promotions tells Rappler.
"It's time to make bigger fights now," Aldeguer says.
Source: Rappler.com
Donnie Nietes Knock Out Win
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