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MASAM SPORTS 67: DONNIE NIETES VS. KAZUTO IOKA REMATCH ON JULY 13 IN JAPAN By Maloney L. Samaco PhilBoxing.com Tue, 12 Jul 2022  Former four-division champion Donnie "Ahas" Nietes and reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior-bantamweight champion Kazuto Ioka will face in a world title bout on July 13 in Japan. * * * Curiously, Nietes (43-1-6, 23 KOs) will fight for the first time in Japan. It will be a rematch of their 2018 New Year’s Eve clash at the Wynn Palace Cotai in Macau. * * * The 40-year-old Nietes won his first fight over Ioka by 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. * * * However, 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 hiatus 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 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 held the WBO mini flyweight title, the WBO and The Ring magazine junior flyweight 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. * * * Donnie Nietes, said: “This was the fight I wanted the most and I am incredibly eager to win back my world title. I have been in training since February for this fight but I really stepped up my levels when I knew it was confirmed. This rematch makes me excited and when I vacated the title in 2018 it was always in my mind that I would, one day, win it back. On July 13, that dream will become a reality.” * * * Richard Schaefer, President of Probellum, said: “Donnie is a boxing legend and a sure-fire Hall of Fame inductee in the future. But his career is far from over, there is plenty left in the tank and when he travels to Japan and rips the world title from Kazuto Ioka on July 13, it will rank as the greatest victory of his remarkable career. What a story it would be for Nietes to recapture the title he first won almost four years ago, and to achieve that in a great champion’s backyard, would make it even more special.” * * * Normally, the player on the NBA title-winning team will be chosen as Finals MVP, as only one player has managed to win the award despite losing in the Finals and that was “The Logo”, Jerry West. Having played in nine NBA Finals, he is also the only player in NBA history to be named Finals MVP despite playing on the losing team Los Angeles Lakers against the champion Boston Celtics in 1969. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.  |
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