After ticking off an item in his boxing bucket list in Macau on New Year’s Eve, Donnie Nietes looks forward to adding a few more in 2019.
Moments after winning the World Boxing Organization (WBO) super-flyweight crown, Nietes revealed some more items he wants crossed out in 2019.
While celebrating his split decision victory over Kazuto Ioka of Japan, Nietes mentioned three names he wants to face in the new year: Srisaket Sor Rungvisai of Thailand, Juan Francisco Estrada of Mexico and Roman Gonzalez of Nicaragua.
“These are my dream fights,” Nietes said in Filipino early Tuesday morning. The past few years, Nietes had been calling them out but his pleas fell on deaf ears each time.
Now that he has won the WBO 115-lb crown and is now a four-division titleholder, Nietes feels that his demand now carries a more potent punch.
Told about fellow Filipino Jerwin Ancajas, also a top dog in the division, Nietes wasn’t as thrilled, saying he’d rather face non-Filipinos in the meantime.
“I would rather fight those who are not Filipinos because I want the Philippines to have as many world champions as possible,” said Nietes.
“Not at this time,” said Nietes, who is one of five reigning Filipino world champions at the moment.
“If we end up fighting, the Philippines is going to lose one world champion. As much as possible not at during this stage,” said the 36-year-old Nietes, who has joined Donaire as the country’s only four-division champions.
The others are eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao, Nonito Donaire, Vic Saludar and Ancajas, the International Boxing Federation titlist.
Against Ioka, who was also attempting to win a fourth world title and aiming to become Japan’s first four-division beltholder, Nietes was the guy who landed the more telling blows.
Levi Martinez scored it 118-110 and Patricia Jarman saw it 116-112 both for Nietes while Samuel Nieto had it 116-112 for Ioka.
The win boosted Nietes’ record to 42-1-5 with 23 KOs and his conquest kept his winning streak alive stretching back to 2004.
There were no knockdowns in the fight that was tactical all the way.
It was the 36-year-old Nietes’ second crack at winning a world title at 115 lbs after being denied last September when he and fellow Filipino Aston Palicte battled to a draw even though Nietes was clearly dominant.
