Nietes kontra Palicte, kontrobersiyal ang desisyon
NABIGO si WBO No. 1 Donnie Nietes na maging four-division world champion nang ideklarang 12-round split draw ang laban sa kababayan at WBO No. 2 Aston Palicte para sa bakanteng WBO super flyweight title kahapon sa The Forum, Inglewood, California sa United States.
Umiskor si judge Daniel Sandoval ng 118-110 para kay Nietes, samantalang si judge Robert Hoyle ay pumabor kay Palicte sa iskor na 116-112 at tablang 114-114 ang resulta sa huradong si Max de Luca.
Para sa Philboxing.com, nanalo si Nietes sa iskor na 117-111 gayon din kay HBO unofficial judge Harold Lederman, 117-111.
Ito sana ang ikaapat na world boxing title kay Nietes makaraang masubi ang WBO minimumweight title noong 2007, WBO light flyweight crown noong 2011 at IBF flyweight belt noong 2017 para tanghaling pinakamatagal na naging kampeon sa mundo.
“Compubox numbers favored Nietes, who landed 194 of 523 total punches (37 percent). Palicte connected on 124 of 830 total punches (15 percent),” ayon sa ulat ng Philboxing.com.
“Of course I won the fight,” sabi ni Nietes matapos ang laban. “Tonight was my first time fighting at this weight. I dealt with his reach. I wanted to unify the titles. I want to fight him again.”
Ngunit, iba naman ang pananaw ni Palicte sa sagupaan.
“It was a close fight, I was the best fighter in the first half of the fight. I threw punches. I landed punches,” diin ni Palicte. “Towards the end of the fight, he was coming on. I’m ready to do it again.”
Nanatili ang rekord ni Nietes sa 41-1-5 na may 23 panalo sa knockouts samantalang may rekord si Palicte ngayon na 24-2-1 na may 20 pagwawagi sa knockouts.
-Gilbert Espeña