ONE will try to further enhance his boxing legacy, while the other gets the chance to resurrect his career.
Two-division world champion Donnie “Ahas” Nietes is fighting in one card together with his idol, former five-division titlist Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire in the much-awaited Pinoy Pride 30 on March 28 at the Araneta Coliseum here in Manila.
The reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) light flyweight champion Nietes, the longest reigning Filipino world boxing champion, is set to defend his title against Mexican hard-puncher Luis ‘Gallo’ Ceja in the main event.
Donaire, on the other hand, is looking to regain lost pride and glamour after losing his World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight title via sixth round knockout to Nicholas Walters in October last year in California. The former 2012 Fighter of the Year will be facing William Prado (22-4-1, 15 KOs) in a 12-round bout.
Nietes (34-1, 20 knockouts) has already rewritten the record books when he surpassed the monumental longevity record of Hall of Famer, the late Gabriel “Flash” Elorde, one of the greatest fighters of all time who reigned as World Boxing Council (WBC) and WBA super featherweight/junior lightweight champion for seven years and eight months.
With a convincing victory over Mexican Carlos “Chapio” Velarde, who quit in the seventh round on Nov. 15 last year in Cebu, the 32-year-old product of a fighting boxing clan from Murcia, not far from Bacolod City, moved on the threshold of surpassing Elorde’s record, which had stood for over 34 years.
It marked Nietes’ reign as a world champion in the minimum weight and light flyweight divisions lasting seven years, one month and 15 days. Nietes has surpassed the long-standing record of Elorde who won the world super featherweight title on March 16, 1960.
This year, Nietes is planning to move up in weight – to flyweight – to chase a third division world crown.
The 32-year-old Donaire, once touted to be the prince in the Philippine boxing kingdom ruled by eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao, should be stronger and more motivated now that he is returning to the lower weight class.
After suffering a traumatic loss to the undefeated Walters, the “The Filipino Flash” is back in the lighter 122-pound super bantamweight division where he used to rule with iron fists.
Now, more than ever, Donaire has to display his old ferocious form again in his return bout if he would want to make himself relevant again in the boxing ring.
Questions and doubts about his future in the sport obviously abound after losing to the bigger and stronger Walters.
It was the first knockout that Donaire suffered in his celebrated career with his record now dropping to 33-3, with 21 knockouts.
It was only Donaire’s second loss in his last four fights after only losing once in his first 29 boxing matches. He had previously lost to Cuba’s Guillermo Rigondeaux in April 2014, but bounced back with victories over Vic Darchinyan and Simpiwe Vetyeka.
Donaire has already won titles in multiple divisions. Not counting his interim belt at junior bantamweight, the Filipino-American has won in four weight classes: flyweight; bantamweight; junior featherweight and featherweight. He even made it into the pound-for-pound lists.
However, that beating at the hands of the heavy-handed Jamaican made Donaire open to talks of retirement after absorbing his second loss inside 18 months during that time. Now Donaire is back in his virtual territory, but he can no longer afford to lose again.
