After ticking off an item in his bucket list in Macau on New Year?s Eve, Don?nie Nietes is looking forward to adding a few more in 2019.
Moments after winning the World Boxing Organization (WBO) super-flyweight crown Monday, Nietes revealed other items he want crossed out.
While celebrating his split decision victory over Kazuto Ioka of Japan, Ni?etes mentioned three names he wants to get a shot at: Srisaket Sor Rungvisai of Thailand, Juan Francisco Estrada of Mexico and Roman Gonzalez of Nicaragua.
?These are my dream fights,? Nietes said in Tagalog early Tuesday morning.
The past few years, Nietes had been calling them out but his pleas fell on deaf ears each time.
Now that he has won the WBO 115-lb crown and is a four-division titleholder, Nietes reckons his demand now carries a more potent punch.
Told about fellow Filipino Jerwin Ancajas, also a top dog in the division, Ni?etes wasn?t as thrilled, saying he?d rather face non-Filipinos in the meantime.
?Not this time. I would rather fight those who are not Filipinos because I want the Philippines to have as many world champions as possible,? said Ni?etes, one of five reigning Filipino world champions at the moment.
?If we end up fighting, the Philip?pines is going to lose one world cham?pion. As much as possible not during this stage,? said the 36-year-old Nietes, who has joined Donaire as the country?s four-division champions.
Other belt-holders are eight-division icon Manny Pacquiao, Vic Saludar and Ancajas, the International Boxing Fed?eration titlist. Against Ioka, who was also attempt?ing to win a fourth world title, Nietes landed the more telling blows.
Levi Martinez scored t 118-110 and Patricia Jarman saw it 116-112 both for Nietes while Samuel Nieto had it 116-112 for Ioka.
The win boosted Nietes? record to 42-1-5 with 23 KOs and his conquest kept his winning streak alive stretching back to 2004.
