Whether Donnie Nietes can carry his power to the super flyweight division will be known when he tangles with countryman Aston Palicte for the vacant World Boxing Organization crown on August 11 in Cebu City.
The camps of Nietes, stalwart of ALA Boxing, and Palicte, under Roy Jones Jr. Boxing, have agreed for the bout ordered by the WBO for its No. 1 and No. 2-ranked fighters after Japanese champion Naoya Inoue moved up to the bantamweight division.
Though the contracts have yet to be signed, the Nietes-Palicte duel will topbill Pinoy Pride 45 to be staged by ALA Promotions International headed by Michael Aldeguer with ABS-CBN Sports at Cebu Coliseum.
Nietes, 35, the longest reigning Filipino world champion with more than 10 years at the helm, retained his International Boxing Federation flyweight title with a seventh-round knockout of Argentine Juan Carlos Reveco in February in Inglewood, Calif.
Palicte, who is also a Negrense like Nietes, was even more impressive with a fifth round stoppage of Mexican Jose Alfredo Rodriguez for the North America Boxing Federation super flyweight title last December 8.
Against the power-punching Palicte (24-2 with 20 knockouts), the 5-foot-3 Nietes (41-1-4, 23 Kos) will be giving up four inches in height and 2 1/2 inches in reach, not to mention 8 years in age.
The height discrepancy hardly worries Nietes though, saying that he has beaten taller opponents like Mexican Moises Fuentes who’s 5-foot 6 1/2.
?This is boxing, not basketball,? said Nietes, who also reigned in the minimum weight, light flyweight and flyweight divisions, in an earlier interview.
Nietes is already in the US, helping ALA stablemate Jonas Sultan prepare for another all-Filipino tussle for the IBF super flyweight title against Jerwin Ancajas in Fresno, Calif., on May 26.
The winner between Nietes and Palicte is mandated by the WBO to defend the title within 90 days.
