Nietes unfazed by taller Palicte

WORLD champion Donnie Nietes has no problem dealing with a taller foe in compatriot Aston Palicte when they slug it out for the vacant World Boxing Organization super flyweight belt on September 8 at the Forum in Los Angeles, California.

Trainer Edito Villamor said that the 5’ 4 Nietes had worked his way against taller sparring partners before flying to California last week, making sure that the three- division world champion would take the punches of a 115- pound fighter.

“Oo matangkad siya 5’ 7 ( Palicte). Boxing naman ang labanan eh so kailangan more on intelligent fighter ka para maano [ mapigilan] mo yung tangkad ng isang boxer,” Villamor told TheManilaTimes in a phone interview on Sunday.

“Yung kelangan ni Donnie ( Nietes) makaspar siya ng malalaki para matake niya yung mga punches ng 115 para sanay na siya at kailangan intelligent siya lumaban kay Palicte, ma- i- out balance niya para pumabor sa kanya,” added Villamor, who will go to the US two weeks prior to the fight.

“Tulad ni Jio Santisima pinaspar namin siya na 122 pounds, ang walking weight mga 135 pounds. Si Vergel Vitor naman 122 din at maganda naman ipinakita niya ( Nietes) sa sparring. Hindi disadvantage kay Nietes yun nakasanayan na ni Donnie lumaban sa malalaki katulad kay Moises Fuentes.”

The 36-year- old Nietes (41-1-4 winlossdraw record with 23 knockouts) drew with Fuentes in their first fight last March 2013 in Cebu, but he scored a knockout win over the Mexican last May 2014.

“Katulad nung fight niya kay ( Juan Carlos) Reveco darating yung knockout.”

Palicte, 27, is sporting a 24-2 record with 20 knockouts.