Donnie’s comeback
One of the nicest guys in boxing is pencilled for a summer comeback. Donnie Nietes, who owns the distinction of being the longest-reigning Filipino champion, will end his longest inactivity when he fights again on April 3 in Dubai.
His last fight was against Kazuta Ioka in Macao in the last day of 2018, when he won the WBO super flyweight title. That should have been Nietes’ first step to a series of lucrative fights against the other champions, but the breaks didn’t go his way. Weeks after winning the title, he said he wanted to face the other champions. But WBO ordered him to face mandatory challenger Aston Palicte in a rematch.
Nietes, who fought Palicte to a split decision just months prior, eventually vacated his WBO belt and went searching for champions from the other organizations for a fight. Unfortunately, the other champions saw him as a high-risk, low reward fight and wanted fights where they would have better chances of keeping their crowns.
That explains his period of inactivity for 2019. And then of course, 2020 happened and the sports world was forced to put things on hold.
After such a long period away from the ring, Nietes will be expected to face a warm-up foe first before he gets to get the marquee fighters. And I hope he does, so he can add a few more chapters to his storied career before he calls it quits.
He deserves such, not because he’s a nice guy but because I think he’s one of the most underappreciated champions in Philippine boxing. Before ALA Promotions teamed up with ABS-CBN for their successful Pinoy Pride series, Nietes’ management had difficulties in securing title fights for him here, so they had to do with the champ going to hostile Mexico for his title defenses.
And boy did he impress the Mexican fans. Will Nietes get the storybook ending of his career? I hope so, and I hope he’ll win the comeback fight. Aside from that, I hope the champions in the division will be willing to take him on.
Maybe, after such a long hiatus and at 38 years old, they may be prodded to do so.
And if they do, I hope Nietes gets to join Pacquiao’s rare club of 40-something world champions.
After such a long period away from the ring, Nietes will be expected to face a warm-up foe first before he gets to get the marquee fighters. And I hope he does, so he can add a few more chapters to his storied career before he calls it quits.