Nietes sets eyes on vacant flyweight crowns
DONNIE “AHAS” NIETES is eyeing to capture either of the World Boxing Organiza tion (WBO) or World Boxing Association (WBA) vacant flyweight titles soon.
Mexican Juan Francisco Estrada (33-2 win-loss record with 24 knockouts) relinquished the WBO and WBA world flyweight titles last week after he decided to move up to the super flyweight rank. Estrada will make his debut as a super flyweight when he fights Filipino Raymond Tabugon on October 8 in Mexico.
“I’m not going to follow Estrada or Roman Gonzales in the super flyweight rank because I’m looking forward to win a world title in the flyweight division for the meantime,” Nietes, 34, told The Manila
Times on Thursday in a phone interview. “I feel so good fighting in the flyweight. I didn’t encounter any trouble about my new weight. I’m so fast, stronger and wiser fighting in the 112 pounds.”
Nietes, a former minimum weight and light flyweight world titleholder, could become a three- division world champion if he bagged any of the two vacant world titles.
But Nietes ( 39- 1- 4 win- loss- draw record with 22 knockouts) added that he’s still open to fighting Estrada or Gonzales, “Of course, I’m willing to fight anyone of them but in a catch weight category. If the fight would happen against Estrada or Gonzalez, I will fight them between 112 or 114 pounds. But I think that’s not possible for the meantime unless they make an offer. So far, I’m still waiting for the decision of my manager regarding my next fight.”
Nietes said that he would likely face twotime Olympic gold medalist Zou Shiming soon. “I really like that fight because I sparred with Zou before. I can handle him. I learned a lot of techniques during my training with coach Freddie Roach.”
Nietes made his debut as a flyweight in Carson, California on Saturday by beating former Mexican world champion Edgar Sosa via unanimous decision. “I really felt good although I couldn’t knock him out because he’s avoiding my punches in the later rounds,” said Nietes.