BACOLOD – It was an unpopular win which Donnie ‘Ahas’ Nietes carved out Saturday night, but still good enough for him to become the latest Filipino two-division champion.             to page 14

The 29-year-old Filipino barely survived a blistering assault by Mexican Ramon Hirales Garcia and pounded out a unanimous decision in capturing the World Boxing Organization (WBO) light-flyweight crown at the jampacked University of St. La Salle Coliseum here.

Nietes repeatedly tagged Garcia with punishing rights to control the early part of the 12-round match, but nearly faded out in the middle rounds when Garcia roughened him up and began connecting with his vicious left.

His legs wobbly and on the verge of going down, the pride of nearby Murcia, Negros Occidental, managed to hang on and finish the fight on his feet to the wild cheers of the partisan crowd that was witness to the first ever world title bout held in the ‘City of Smiles.’

It turned out Nietes had nothing to worry about.

All three judges scored it for the Filipino. Danrex Tapdasan had it close at 115-113, but the two others, Liza Giampa and Carlos Ortiz, saw it otherwise at 118-110, and 117-111, respectively.

Garcia’s camp obviously wasn’t too happy with the outcome, insisting the Mexican, 29, got the raw end of the deal, especially with the way the two judges scored the bout.

The Mexicans, through Leo Camacho, the trainer, also expressed disgust at the way veteran referee Robert Byrd did his thing inside the ring, pointing out how Byrd delayed the action on several occasion in an attempt to protect the worn-out Nietes.

“With that kind of judges and referee, we will never have a chance to win,” said Camacho through an interpreter inside Garcia’s dressing room.

Garcia said he knew he hurt Nietes, “that’s why he’s running around.”

“We’re definitely looking for a knockout and Nietes keeps running all around,” Camacho added.

Asked if Garcia would like a rematch, Camacho said they’ll certainly go for it, but with one condition.

“We do want a rematch but with good judges and referee,” said Camacho, who left for Mexico together with the entire group Sunday afternoon.

ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer admitted they’re also open to a rematch be it in the Philippines or Mexico.

Nietes, the former janitor turned world boxing champion, said he’s ready if a return bout will be held in Mexico, pointing out how he’d beaten Mexican challengers to his WBO minimumweight crown in the past even in hostile territory.

The champion, who came from a well-known family of boxers, improved to 29-1-3, with 16 KOs, and became the latest in an elite list of Filipino fighters to become a two-division title holder –or more – in the company of pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao, the Penalosa brothers, Gerry and Dodie Boy, Luisito Espinosa, Nonito Donaire, and Brian Viloria.

Nietes, who sported a one inch cut at his lower left eyebrow owing to an accidental headbutt, offered the victory to his countrymen.