Nietes seeks 2nd world title against 108-pound champ Garcia of Mexico

Former world champion Donnie "Ahas" Nietes vowed not to disappoint his countrymen when he vies for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) light-flyweight title against Mexican champion Ramon Garcia on Saturday at the University of St. La Salle gym in Bacolod City. "It's a dream come true for me to fight for a title before my countrymen," said Nietes Thursday during the final press conference for the 12-round title bout—the first of this magnitude to be held in the capital city of Negros Occidental—at the L'Fisher Hotel. Nietes, 29, is seeking a second world championship belt after a three-year reign as the WBO minimumweight champion. The challenger, who hails from Murcia town, holds a 28-1 (16 knockouts) record. But Garcia hopes to spoil a hometown victory party in his first defense of the crown he won with a fourth-round knockout of Jesus Geles last April. "Our plan is to win," said Garcia's trainer Leo Camacho. "After beating a great fighter like Nietes, we hope that Garcia will join the list of great Mexican champions." Official weigh-in for the entire boxing card dubbed "Pinoy Pride 9" and presented by ALA Promotions is set Friday at SM City Bacolod. Fighting in the main undercard of the program is AJ "Bazooka" Banal, who defends his WBO Asia-Pacific bantamweight title against unbeaten Mexican Mario Briones. Hall of Fame referee Meanwhile, veteran ring official Robert Byrd, who once worked the Wladimir Klitschko and Miguel Cotto fights, serves as the third man on the ring. Byrd, a World Boxing Hall of Famer in 2006, twice officiated a world heavyweight title fight featuring Klitschko in 2004 against Lamon Brewster (Las Vegas) and in 2010 opposite Samuel Peter (Germany). He was also the referee when Cotto stopped Ricardo Mayorga in their junior middleweight championship bout earlier this year. A former California Highway Patrol officer, he is the husband of well-known boxing judge Adalaide Byrd. The three judges scoring the Nietes-Garcia showdown—the main event of ALA Promotions' Pinoy Pride 9—are Carlos Ortiz Jr., Liza Giampa and Danrex Tapdasan. — JVP, GMA News