THERE is a possibility that two boxing stars from the Philippines will co-headline an event in the US.
No, it?s not Manny Pacquiao and Nonito Donaire Jr., rather Nonito Donaire Jr. and the second longest-reigning Filipino world champion, Donnie Nietes.
?I can?t confirm or deny that because I haven?t talked to Bob or Nonito about it yet. We are still putting the card together for November in the US. The plan is for Nietes, but if we can put Nonito in, then it would even be a bigger card,? ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer told Sun.Star Cebu.
Donaire Jr. was supposed to be included in the card of Pacquiao?s ring return also in November at the Cotai Arena at the Venetian Resort in Macau. However, it seems as it won?t be the case because Pacquiao?s adviser Michael Koncz is against it.
With Koncz?s, who handles MP Promotions, disapproval, Donaire Jr. could probably be headlining another card, while ALA Promotions is holding its first boxing event in the US, in California, which has a huge Filipino fan-base.
Donaire Jr. recently won the World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight crown following a unanimous technical decision over Simpiwe Vetyeka last month in Macau.
The World Boxing Organization (WBO) light flyweight king Nietes, in the meantime, is coming off the biggest win of his career, a ninth round knockout of Moises Fuentes at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila.
?We haven?t looked into the opponent of Donnie yet because it is still in November.
For the undercard in the US, we are looking at the Pagara brothers depending on their performance on June 21st,? said Aldeguer.
Brothers Jason and Albert Pagara headline Pinoy Pride 26 at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino in Cebu City.
Jason will defend his WBO International light welterweight strap against Mexican Mario Meraz, while the younger sibling Albert slugs it out with Mexican Hugo Partida for the vacant International Boxing Federation (IBF) super bantamweight belt.
