DONNIE Nietes successfully retained his World Boxing Organization (WBO) light-flyweight title following a ninth-round stoppage of Mexican challenger Gilberto Parra on Saturday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Nietes scored the lone knockdown in the 12-round match when he sent Parra crashing to the canvas with a right straight in the eighth round.
He then opened a huge cut just above the left eye of the Mexican with a brutal right that had the animated Big Dome crowd reacting with glee.
Blood flowed freely from the nasty cut which had the ring physician advising referee Jack Reiss to stop the fight just before the 10th round.
“First round pa lang alam ko kaya ko na siyang patumbahin,” said the 32-year-old Nietes, the longest reigning Filipino world champion.
“Sabi ko ma-timing lang ng straight, patutumbahin ko ito.”
The pride of Murcia, Negros Occidental raised his record to 35-1-4, including 21 KOs.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
