Nietes retains WBO minimumweight title

The Philippines’ Donnie “Ahas" Nietes bucked a hostile crowd in beating Manuel “Chango" Vargas via split decision and retaining his WBO minimumweight title Saturday in the latter’s turf of Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico (Sunday in Manila). Nietes, one of the country’s five current world champions, prevailed on the score cards of two judges, 116-110 and 118-110 to offset the 116-110 score that the third judge credited to the hometown boy Vargas. The 27-year-old Nietes thus hiked his ring record to 25-1 (13 KOs), nailing his 12th straight victory while maintaining his position in the elite club of Filipino world champions. The pride of Murcia, Bacolod City is in the company of IBO light welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao, WBA interim super flyweight boss Nonito Donaire, Jr., IBF light flyweight kingpin Brian Viloria, and 19-year-old WBO super flyweight champ Marvin Sonsona. Nietes landed an overhand right in the fourth that momentarily wobbled Vargas but the Mexican survived and even went on attack mode from there, according to PhilBoxing.Com. Nietes later adopted a counter-punching stance, landing effective shots along the way to impress the judges. "His (Vargas’) punches are not that strong. (Previous Mexican challenger Erik) Ramirez was much stronger. But he's got good defense so I tried to time my punches," Nietes was quoted by PhilBoxing.com. It was Nietes’ third defense of the 105-lb belt which he won during his battle for the vacant title with Pornsawan Porpranook in 2007 in Cebu. Nietes, who got his nickname for having a pet snake that he used to bring along his fights, also pulled off his second successful defense on hostile ground, having dispatched Ramirez via unanimous decision last February in Oaxaca, Mexico. Vargas dropped to 26-4-1. Gorres stops foe In the undercard, Filipino prospect Z “the Dream" Gorres hacked out an injury-induced six-round stoppage of his Mexican foe, former world bantamweight champion Cruz Carbajal. Fighting two divisions above his regular super flyweight class, Gorres bucked a cut above his right eyelid caused by accidental headbutts in the third in outgunning the older Carbajal throughout their abbreviated fight, BoxingScene.com reported. Carbajal claimed he injured his left arm and the fight was waved off by referee Alberto Ramos at the 0:02 mark of the sixth stanza. The 27-year-old Gorres, who staggered Carbajal with an overhead right in the first round, said he felt the rust from his seven-month break from fighting. "My timing was a little bit off," said Gorres, who knocked out Roberto Carlos Leyva at the Waterfront Hotel in Cebu City last March. "It's really different when you haven't fought for a while. You are not as sharp as you want to be." Gorres, who made his first fight in Mexico, improved to 30-2-2 (17 KOs) and extended his win-run to three since his controversial 12-round draw with Vic Darchinyan in 2008 in Cebu. Carbajal, 35, slipped to 29-17-2 (25 KOs). - GMANews.TV