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MASAM SPORTS 60: DONNIE NIETES REMATCH WITH KAZUTO IOKA SET ON JULY 13 IN JAPAN By Maloney L. Samaco PhilBoxing.com Sun, 29 May 2022  Former four-division champion Donnie "Ahas" Nietes and reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior bantamweight champion Kazuto Ioka are scheduled to fight in a world title bout on July 13 in Japan. As reported by BoxingScene, both camps have agreed to terms to avoid a WBO purse bid hearing. “Please be advised that the WBO World Championship Committee is hereby ordering the commencement of negotiations for the subject matter bout,” the WBO wrote. “The parties herein have 30 days upon issuance of this letter to negotiate and reach an agreement accordingly. If an accord is not reached within the time frame set forth herein, purse bid proceedings will be called per WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests.” The WBO also required a minimum bid amount of $100,000 for the upcoming Nietes-Ioka match. Curiously, Nietes (43-1-6, 23 KOs) will fight for the first time in Japan. The boxing organization formally ordered the bout last April 1 as they will engage in a rematch of their 2018 New Year’s Eve clash at the Wynn Palace Cotai in Macau. The 39-year-old Nietes won the first fight over Ioka with a split decision on December 31, 2018. The scores were 118-110 and 116-112 for Nietes, while the third has it 116-112 for Ioka. Nietes joins Pacquiao and Donaire as the only Filipino boxers to win world titles in four weight divisions. But Nietes relinquished the belt months later which made the Japanese star win the title again over Filipino rival Aston Palicte in June 2019. The former ALA Gym mainstay went on a two-year inactivity but made a sensational comeback via a unanimous decision win over Pablo Carillo of Colombia to win the vacant WBO international super-flyweight title at the Caesars Palace in Dubai, UAE. Nietes by then had signed with Probellum Promotion and his last fight was against Norbelto Jimenez of Dominican Republic but the 10-round bout ended up with a split draw as Nietes retained the WBO international title. The scores were 96-94 Nietes, 96-94 Jimenez and 95-95 even on December 11, 2021 in Dubai. The 33-year-old Ioka (28-2, 15 KOs) had a five-match winning streak after suffering a split decision loss to Nietes. Ioka has since defended the crown against Jeyvier Cintron, Kosei Tanaka, Francisco Rodriguez Jr., and Ryoji Fukunaga. Fukunaga was the late replacement when the fight against Jerwin Ancajas was scrapped due to the pandemic. Ioka won against countryman Ryoji Fukunaga via unanimous decision last New Year’s Eve in Japan. Nietes was hoping to get a lucrative fight with the division’s elite stars like the former lineal/WBC champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, current lineal/WBA champion Juan Estrada and former four-division champ Roman "Chocolatito" Gonzalez. He held the WBO mini flyweight title, the WBO and The Ring magazine junior jlyweight titles, the IBF flyweight title and the WBO junior bantamweight title. Nietes is the longest-reigning Filipino boxing world champion, breaking in 2014 the record set in 1967 by Boxing Hall of Famer Gabriel "Flash" Elorde. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.  |
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