NIETES. Two titles in 2017?
After two division world champion Johnriel “Quadro Alas” Casimero (23-3-0, 15KOs) relinquished his International Boxing Federation (IBF) world flyweight title to move to the super flyweight division, another Filipino is poised to inherit the vacated crown.
This after the IBF ordered Filipino champion Donnie “Ahas” Nietes to fight for the title.
Nietes, the longest reigning Filipino boxing world champion who moved to the 112lbs or the regular flyweight division just this year, is the IBF number three contender in the division.
The 34-year old Nietes (39-1-4, 22KOs), of Murcia, Bacolod is ordered by the IBF to face IBF number four flyweight Eaktawan Krungthepthonburi (22-3-0, 15KOs) of Thailand, according to reports from Philboxing.com.
“I am very happy when I learned that the IBF ordered me to fight the Thai boxer for the IBF world flyweight title. I will prioritize the IBF because I got the orders already even though I am the mandatory challenger of Zou Shiming’s WBO world flyweight title. It’s a big opportunity for me so I will not let this one pass,” said Donnie Nietes.
As to what boxing body he prefers, Nietes did not mince on his ambition.
“I am planning to win both IBF and WBO in this division and become a three division world champion. I am very motivated right now to train harder, in fact I am already training for next year’s big fights,” added Nietes
Nietes, the ace boxer of ALA Boxing Gym is the number one contender to Zou Shiming’s WBO world flyweight title and recently called on the latter to give him a shot at the title. Nietes is also ranked No. 5 by the WBC in the stacked up flyweight class.
His most recent win came against former world champion Edgar Sosa whom he beat by unanimous decision to clinch the vacant WBO Inter-continental flyweight title in a Pinoy Pride card held in the United States last September.