FOLLOWING a stellar performance by Donnie Nietes in his US debut at the StubHub Center in Carson, California last weekend, ALA Promotions will be working hard on bringing the fight that he has been longing for against pound-for-pound king Roman Gonzalez.
“We have definitely started talks with K2 Promotions. But we haven’t discussed further because of Donnie’s fight. We will assess with the team on how comfortable Donnie will be at 112. He has been a champion for eight years and we want all the big fights for him,” ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer said.
A fight with World Boxing Council (WBC) flyweight champion Gonzalez is undoubtedly the biggest fight out there. Gonzalez has been wreaking havoc in boxing’s smaller weights, bringing home titles in three weight divisions – mini-flyweight, light flyweight and flyweight. His victims are some of the who’s who of the lighter weights, the likes of Edgar Sosa, Akira Yaegashi, Francisco Rodriguez, Juan Francisco Estrada, Ramon Garcia-Hirales, Katsunari Takayama, Yutaka Niida and recently Fil-Hawaiian Brian Viloria, who he stopped in nine rounds last Sunday at the Madison Square Garden in New York.
The 33-year-old Nietes’ hand was also raised on the other side of the US, beating challenger Juan “Pinky” Alejo by a lopsided unanimous decision in Carson, California.
Because moving up in weight and facing the world’s best boxer is no joke, ALA Promotions will have Nietes face Gonzalez in the later part of next year. Nietes will first have to test the 112-pound waters with tune-up fights. His first schedule for next year is in hometown in Bacolod City probably in March.
“I will wait for their (ALA Promotions) plans for me,” Nietes, who more that willing to step up in competition, told Sun.Star Cebu.
ALA Gym head trainer Edito Villamor is convinced that Nietes should be in the best shape of his life to be able to beat Gonzalez, who has this aura of invincibility.
“Yes (I believe Donnie can beat him). We need to study him really hard so that we will be able to see his weaknesses.”
