DONNIE NIETES
The much-awaited first mandatory title defense of three-division world champion and reigning IBF world flyweight king Donnie “Ahas” Nietes may not happen this year.
This after ALA Promotions International CEO Michael P. Aldeguer told Cebu Daily News (CDN) that they are still negotiating with the promoters of mandatory challenger, former two-division world champion Juan Carlos Reveco (39-3-0, 19 KOs) of Argentina.
The fight, which was initially set to happen this November, is not yet final according to Aldeguer. “We are still in the negotiation stage. Nothing concrete yet. We are open to fighting either in the Philippines or abroad. November might be too soon. Next year is a possibility. A mandatory fight takes time to happen,” Aldeguer said in a text message to CDN.
The 35-year-old Nietes (40-1-4, 22KOs), a Murcia, Negros Occidental native, recently celebrated his 10th anniversary as a world champion and as the longest-reigning Filipino boxing world champion. He is currently training at the ALA Boxing Gym in Barangay Talamban, Cebu City, according to ALA Promotions International match maker and trainer Edito Villamor.
He told CDN that Nietes has been training since July. “My brother Edmund (Villamor) handles his training. They started early so that he will be fully prepared when there’s a final schedule for this title defense. He’s also having conditioning training with Pio Solon to make him stronger and improve his endurance,” said Villamor.
He added that Nietes is now doing sparring matches with fellow ALA boxers Raul Yu, Esneth Domingo, Christian Bacolod, Virgel Vitor and Rocky Fuentes.
“Reveco is a tough boxer and also very skillful and has vast experience. They are both world champions so I told Donnie that there’s no room for complacency,” added Villamor.
Nietes’ most previous bout was last February in Cebu City where he scored a hard-earned unanimous decision victory against Thai Komgrich Nantapech to clinch the vacant IBF world flyweight belt.