Pinoy Pride 38: Nietes dominates Sosa in flyweight debut

Donnie Nietes. Photo by Roy Luarca/INQUIRER

DONNIE “Ahas” Nietes made an instant impact in the flyweight division with a dominant unanimous decision over former world champion Edgar Sosa Saturday night (Sunday in Manila) in the headliner of Pinoy Pride 38 at StubHub Center in Carson, California.

Proving that the additional four pounds are no hindrance, Nietes gave Sosa  a boxing clinic from the get-go to win the World Boxing Organization international crown by shutout, all three judges scoring it 120-108, and complete the Filipinos’ dominance of their Mexican opponents.

Mark “Magnifico” Magsayo stretched his unbeaten run with a similarly lopsided unanimous decision over late replacement Ramiro Robles to retain the WBO international featherweight crown.

Though Magsayo, 15-0 with 11 knockouts, dropped Robles (13-6-1, 8 KOs) twice in the second round, with a right counter to the face, and in the seventh, with a body shot, the Mexican held on to last the 12-round battering.  

The judges saw it, 118-108, 119-107, 120-106, all for Magsayo.

Even more impressive was “King” Arthur Villanueva (22-11, 15 KOs), who knocked out Juan Jimenez (30-1, 15 KOs) in 2:20 of the  second round to keep the WBO Asia Pacific bantamweight title in their grudge rematch.

Proving that his fourth round stoppage of Jimenez, following a banging of heads,  last May 28 in Bacolod City was no fluke, Villanueva countered with a short right and left and then finished off the Mexican with a crisp right cross to the jaw.

As Jimenez landed on the canvas face first, Referee Jerry Cantu didn’t even bother to finish the count.

Focus was still on the 34-year-old Nietes, of course.

Having held the minimum (105 pounds) and light flyweight (108) crowns for an unprecedented eight years, Nietes finally got the chance to test his mettle in the 112-lb class.

And Nietes proved that he belonged.

Moving well evading punches while sneaking some of his own, Nietes jarred Sosa with a counter right in the third round and staggered the Mexican in the fourth with a solid right.

Nietes wobbled Sosa anew with an overhand right in the tenth, but was unable to follow up as the bell rang.

The search for  a big name opponent will have to continue, however, as flyweight superstars  Roman Gonzalez and Juan Francisco Estrada have both decided to climb to the super flyweight division./rga