Two former world title challengers and a couple of fast-rising stars make up the sparring partners of Donnie Nietes, who guns for a fourth world crown on Dec. 31 in Macau.
Three-division world champion Nietes is booked to battle Kazuto Ioka of Japan either at the Macau Tower or Wynn Macau for the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) super-flyweight title.
?Donnie started training last month and his sparring partners are youthful punchers Jeo Santisina and KJ Cataraja and ex-world title challengers Jonas Sultan and Arthur Villanueva,? said ALA Boxing lead trainer Edito Villamor.
While the formal announcement hasn?t been made, Michael Aldeguer, who manages and promotes Nietes, says the event is basically a done deal.
?The major players of the promotion are coming over here this week to finalize,? said Aldeguer, who will be joined by stakeholders from Japan and the US.
Nietes is getting his second shot at the WBO 115-lb throne after his bout with compatriot Aston Palicte last September in Los Angeles was ruled a draw.
Villamor, a two-time world title challenger, believes Nietes will finally crown himself on New Year?s Eve. ?Our chances of winning is more than 50-50,? said Villamor.
On the same night Nietes settled for a draw against Palicte, Ioka scored an emphatic win over Puerto Rican McWilliams Arroyo.
