NIETES WANTS THE BEST SUPER FLYS
After beating Kazuto Ioka and winning his fourth division world crown, Donnie Nietes wants to face the best super flyweights and unify all the world titles in the division
Donnie Nietes isn’t done yet.
After taking his fourth division crown with a win over Japanese star Kazuto Ioka on New Year’s eve, the 36-year-old Nietes is hungry for more and wants to unify the super flyweight division to further solidify his legendary status.
“I’m very happy that I finally have my fourth division title,” Nietes told SunStar Cebu. “I want to go on and bring honor and pride to our country and unify all the belts in the super flyweight division.”
Srisaket Sor Rungvisai is the current super flyweight king in the World Boxing Council (WBC), unbeaten Brit Khalid Yafai is the reigning World Boxing Association (WBA) super flyweight titleholder, while Filipino Jerwin Ancajas holds the International Boxing Federation (IBF) super flyweight belt.
Nietes won the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) super flyweight belt with a split decision over three-division world champion Ioka at the Wynn Palace Cotai in Macau.
Nietes kept his 14-year unbeaten run and improved to 42-1-5 with 23 knockouts, while Ioka dropped to 23-2 with 13 knockouts.
Nietes, however, has only one of the other three world champions on his radar, while his other two targets are former world champions from the lower divisions that are currently super flyweights.
“I hope that my dream fights with (Roman) Gonzalez, (Juan Francisco) Estrada and Sor Rungvisai will become a reality,” he said.
But from the three fighters on his wish list, there’s only one boxer there that he’s been itching to fight for years now.
“Gonzalez,” answered Nietes on who of the three he wanted to fight the most. “That has always been my dream fight even before.”
Just like his last fight against fellow Filipino Aston Palicte for that same vacant crown a few months back in Inglewood, California that ended in a controversial draw, Nietes looked as if he won it convincingly. But one of the three judges had it 116-112 for Ioka, while the other two scored it 118-110 and 116-112 for him.
“I really knew that I was up ahead on the scorecards,” said Nietes, who was hoisted by his coach just after the fight even before the decision was announced. “I don’t know how he saw the fight, that he had Ioka winning.”
Nietes joined some elite company in Manny Pacquiao and Nonito Donaire Jr. as the only Filipino fighters to ever win world titles in four divisions or more.
“I’m very happy that I also made my own legacy.” /