Boxeo en beIN Sports Español: Donnie Nietes vs. Juan Alejo RBR

Pagara claims the vacant WBO youth Intercontinental super bantamweight title. (he's 21, so fair enough - but Gonzalez is 34 so why on earth was he eligible for a "youth" title? :!

 

Donnie Nietes vs. Juan Alejo, 12 rounds @ light flyweight

 

Round 1

Nietes is catching Alejo's jab on his left glove, then plowing into him with his shoulder to grind his momentum to a halt. Alejo is trying to peck his way in, and eats a counter right hand lead between the eyes and cuffing left hook on the nose. Nice left hooker-cut from Nietes, taking a diagonal step leftward and outside and scoring a nice right cross, snapping Alejo's head back. Nietes is bobbing in, gloves over his face, dipping to either side to slip Alejo's jab or let it brush off the backs of his gloves. Lead right by Nietes. Alejo tries pulling himself back to slingshot in a counter right but Nietes scouts it and straightens up, countering with his own straight right, basically stealing Alejo's move. Double left hook slapped into the guard by Alejo.

10-9 Nietes

 

Round 2

Nietes is ducking and springing up with counter uppercuts and filling the awkward silence with jabs when Alejo grows cautious. Alejo is very uncertain now, throwing loose combos of wide left hooks and telegraphed right hands. Nietes is ducking in place, forearms bundled up narrowly in front, countering sharply with both hands. Alejo blunders into an uppercut and hook while firing a salvo on the front-foot.

10-9 Nietes

20-18 Nietes

 

Round 3

Nietes is ducking and swaying clear of the jab and throwing quick stinging double underhanded rights on the body or stiff jabs on the face. Alejo is bravely attacking, working an overhand right that mostly slaps across Nietes' upper back along with a series of L&R hooks at the body. Alejo has some late success but not enough to steal the frame.

10-9 Nietes

30-27 Nietes

 

Round 4

Nietes is capitalizing on Alejo's waxing recklessness, threading in counter uppercuts while fading out from Alejo's reach. Nietes is easing onto his heels, staying poised and balanced, not hurrying, very patient and deliberate with his placement. Alejo is a lesson in opposites, chasing and lunging with extremely wide shots. Alejo showing a good chin, at least.

10-9 Nietes

40-36 Nietes

 

Round 5

Nietes is continuing his work from the fourth, catching the jab of the lanky Mexican challenger on his mitts and putting too much space between them for Alejo to have any opportunities to land with power. Counter-punches in short bunches from Nietes. BIG RIGHT HAND BY NIETES. Wow. Alejo is gutsy. Nietes is still playing the mouse to Alejo's cat, not going for the kill, dancing around his man, blocking jabs.

10-9 Nietes

50-45 Nietes

 

Round 6

Nietes is setting down, letting Alejo pass the boundary haplessly, and uncoiling himself with a champagne-corking uppercut on the chin followed by a left hook that sharply turns Alejo's head. Alejo just keeps walking onto punishment, absorbing it, and hoping to get even the smallest amount of leather on Nietes. He does, finally, scoring an overhand right that sails up high before crashing onto the champion's neck. Follow-up dusting of light hooks and rights by Alejo, grinning as the bell sounds, content just to have made some contact and not been solely the recipient for the full three minutes.

10-9 Nietes

60-54 Nietes

 

Juan isn't a big name and clearly doesn't have the deepest toolkit, but he is kind of like (at least in temperament, and chin - maybe not heavy-handedness) a light fly version of Margarito.

Nietes is just putting on a master class, here, dissecting a rated world title contender.

This is clinical stuff.

 

:nod

Nietes and Viloria could produce a stellar all-Pinoy battle, too.

 

Round 7

Nietes is letting Alejo's hand grope into the cookie jar, then slamming the lid on him with hard counter uppercuts, all spring-loaded with a deep-seated preliminary charge. Nietes is keeping the jab on Alejo's face as though attached via tether string, like a paddle-ball. Alejo is throwing giant haymakers on the way in, but Nietes is too far outside and sees everything coming with plenty of time for a quick lean if he needs to adjust.

10-9 Nietes

70-63 Nietes

 

Round 8

Nietes is landing huge, LOUD power shots on the jaw of Alejo now, three and four in a row. Alejo is marching after his dangerous quarry, using throwaway jabs to feel out approximate range and triangulate where Nietes' face is and then slinging big wide right hands - invariably getting countered each time with creative new offensive bursts from Nietes.

10-9 Nietes

80-72 Nietes