ALA GYM stars Donnie Nietes and Z Gorres are set to see action in Top Rank’s “Latin Fury 11” in Mexico on Sept. 5.
After his world title defense was postponed a couple of times, World Boxing Organization mini-flyweight titleholder Nietes will finally set foot in the ring against interim titlist Manuel Vargas to determine the absolute holder of the belt.
“It was very disappointing. We were concerned about Nietes’s training. It affected a lot because he has already reached his peak but nevertheless we’re still professional about it,” ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer told Sun.Star Cebu in an interview.
The Nietes and Vargas war was originally scheduled on May 16 and was moved to July 18 because of the AH1N1 scare in Mexico.
It was then rescheduled to Aug. 1 and was canceled again because the sponsors of Mexican promoter Fernando Beltran backed out.
“Hopefully, this will be the last time. We won’t allow it to happen again,” said Aldeguer.
Even with the setbacks with his world title defense, Nietes has remained calm and is concentrating on retaining his world title.
“He is focused. He knows what has to be accomplished,” said Aldeguer, who believes the 27-year-old Nietes is one of the most mature fighters in the ALA Gym. Meanwhile, after a five- month layoff, Gorres has finally landed a fight as Top Rank’s newest addition.
Although Gorres’s opponent hasn’t been identified, ALA Promotions confirmed that he will be in the card along with Nietes.
ALA Promotions will send Gorres to the US in the first week of August, when he will train at the Wild Card Gym along with Nietes and AJ Banal, who is scheduled to fight in Hawaii on Aug. 29.
