Home 
WORLD Boxing Organization (WBO) minimumweight champion Donnie Nietes defends his title for the first time today against Nicaraguan Eddy Castro in the co-main event of the “WBO Night of Champions” card at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel.
The main event will feature the popular Rey 'Boom Boom' Bautista defending his WBO Intercontinental superbantam title against Mexican Eden Marquez in the other 12-round tiff.
“This will be an exciting card for the fans. We know the visiting fighters have prepared hard for this. But our Filipino fighters are ready just the same, said the youthful Michael Aldeguer whose ALA Promotions is putting up the show together with broadcast giant ABS-CBN.
Studio 23 will air the fights starting at 7:30 tonight, while ABS-CBN will air the replay tomorrow at 11PM.
WBO Asia Pacific chairman Leon Panoncillo is supervising the championship bouts while Games and Amusements Board (GAB) commissioners Angel Bautista and Monju Guanzon are also in town for the event.
NO WEIGHT PROBLEMS
The Bohol-raised Bautista (25-1, 18 KO's) came in at exact 122 lbs during official weigh-in held yesterday at the SM City Cebu's atrium supervised by Panoncillo, while Marquez (16-3-3, 12 KO's) checked in at a very trim 121 lbs.
Bautista and Marquez then held a three-minute staredown that had the big crowd chanting for a fight.
An impressive victory by Bautista today will be his ticket to a possible slot in a major event in the United States later this year, said his manager Michael Aldeguer.
The Bacolod City native Nietes (22-1-3, 13 KO's), defending his world crown after winning it over Thailand's Pornsawan Kratingdaenggym last year, came in at a perfect 105 lbs, while Castro (12-3-1, 9 KO's) was at 103 lbs.
Mexican Fernando Dominguez, who manages Marquez, has informed that the two Latino fighters are confident of their chances against the local boys, having trained long and hard for the fights.
“Everything will be settle on the ring tomorrow. The better fighter wins, but we are very confident,” said Dominguez.
If successful, Nietes is next set to defend his title against his mandatory challenger within the year.
Reigning WBO Youth lightweight champion Jason Pagara sees action in a non-title fight against Thailand's Kongdej Sithtrajtrakan, while Jomanz Omanz goes up against ex-WBC Int'l bantam champ Roger Galicia.
Weng Haya takes on Ricky Sismundo; Rey Las Pinas takes on Gideon Amba; Jerson Mancio battles Mario Suson; while fighting doctor JV Tuazon of New Jersey, USA takes on Albert Villacampa. Correspondent Salven Lagumbay
