The dream fight of WBO lightflyweight champion Donnie “Ahas” Nietes may have to wait a while.
Immediately after disposing of Mexican Juan Alejo last month in Carson City, California, Nietes issued a challenge to undefeated Nicaraguan world champion Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez.
However, a December 5 match in Mexico between former Nietes victims Francisco Rodriguez and Moises Fuentes will delay the Murcia-native champion’s aim of challenging Gonzalez.
Reports have it that the Rodriguez-Fuentes bout may be declared by the WBO as a final title eliminator that will determine the next official challenger of Nietes.
After their Carson City outing last October 17, ALA Promotions president and CEO Michael Aldeguer announced the possibility of staging Nietes’ next title defense sometime in April 2016 in Bacolod City.
Under WBO rules, a champion has to make a mandatory title defense every nine months. Nietes’ last mandatory defense, a 12-round decision win against Rodriguez, happened last July in Cebu.
“I leave it all up to my manager. I just have to keep myself always ready and in shape. I still have the fire to fight the best,” said Nietes.
the 33-year-old Nietes arrived in the country yesterday after attending the WBO convention in Las Vegas last weekend.
Meantime, Gonzalez told boxingscene.com that he once challenged Nietes to a unification bout even before the Nicaraguan became a flyweight champion.
“Donnie Nietes supposedly wants to fight me and unify titles, but when we were at 105-pounds and 108-pounds – I met him in Mexico to talk about [a possible fight] and he didn’t want to. I honestly do not think he wants to [fight me],” said Gonzalez.
Gonzalez is considering a move up in weight and aim for the WBO superflyweight crown currently held by undefeated knockout artist Naoya Inoue of Japan. (DENNIS PRINCIPE)