LOS ANGELES – One of the reasons why Donnie ‘Ahas’ Nietes has decided to move up in weight was to pursue a dream fight against unified flyweight champion Juan Francisco Estrada of Mexico.
However, Nietes’ fantasy bout may remain as such for a while after Estrada yesterday announced his own move up in weight class during a press conference in Mexico.
The 26-year-old Estrada decided to surrender the WBO and WBA flyweight crowns and will start his journey at superflyweight with a bout against Filipino trial horse Raymond Tabugon on October 8 in his hometown in Mexico.
“I know I will win (against Tabugon). After that I will work out with my promoter to get a title shot against ‘Chocolatito’ and Naoya Inoue,” said Estrada.
Estrada (33-2, 24 knockouts )was referring to the current pound-for-pound king Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez of Mexico who holds the WBC flyweight and superflyweight crowns while Inoue owns the WBO 115lb tiara.
‘“I have completed my journey in the flyweight division and I won’t have any problems at 115,” added Estrada.
Nietes meanwhile would rather focus on his flyweight debut where he is slated to face former world lightflyweight champion Edgar Sosa of Mexico this Saturday at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.
“Sa tingin ko kaya ko hanggang 115 pero subukan muna natin dito sa 112,” said Nietes during a break at his Wild Card gym training session in Hollywood.
The decision of Estrada to vacate both WBO and WBA crowns may bode well for Nietes as this will give him an easier task of winning a portion of the flyweight category should he get past Sosa.
The 34-year-old Murcia native Nietes, a former two-division world champion, has been installed the top-rated boxer of the WBO in the flyweight class owing to his record-setting reign as WBO 108lb ruler. (Dennis Principe)