Will Donnie Nietes Finally Gets His Desired Big Fights?
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 09 Oct 2020
In his latest column at BoxingScene where he is the Managing Editor, noted boxing scribe and historian Cliff Rold posted a rhetorical poser about Donnie "Ahas" Nietes:
"Donnie Nietes coming back is interesting. At his age, off a long layoff, can he find a career capper or did his window for big nights close?"
Very relevant and timely question.
Nietes has recently signed up with MTK Global and D4G Promotions after his original outfit ALA Promotions closed shop, joining stablemate Albert Pagara who has earlier been recruited in September.
MTK for Mack The Knife Global, is a boxing and MMA management and event promotions company founded by Daniel Kinahan and former pro boxer Matthew Macklin in 2012, originally established as MGM (Macklins Gym Marbella).
Since its founding, MTK Global has signed a host of world class fighters, mostly from the UK and a few from the US, Africa and Eastern Europe including Tyson Fury, Josh Taylor, Billy Joe Saunders, Carl Frampton, Charlie Edwards, Moruthi Mthalane, Michael Aloyan and Jamel Herring.
Nietes and Pagara are two of the only three Asians now under MTK Global, the other being Pakistani former amateur star Muhammad Wassem.
What convinced Nietes to sign the dotted line was the word made by MTK Global managing director Paul Gibson that they would work for Nietes to finally get big fights against the likes of Juan Francisco Estrada, Roman Gonzalez and Srisaket Sor Rungvusai, the acknowledged top three in the loaded super flyweight division.
Can MTK Global deliver on this promise?
Based on its very visible presence and active involvement in the global big fight scene which included among others Wassem and Mthalane fighting for the vacant IBF flyweight title last year won by the South African, MTK can very well deliver.
But it will also depend on how fast Nietes himself can get back to the groove of things so to speak in a talent laden division.
Donnie has not fought since he won over Kazuto Ioka for the then vacant WBO super flyweight title in December 2018. He vacated the crown in 2019 to pursue potential fights against Estrada, Gonzalez and Rungvusai. Failing, he opted to sit the whole year out until ALA itself closed shop last August.
Due to his inactivity, Nietes is not rated by any world boxing sanctioning body, including the WBO despite his earlier request for reinstatement as contender being a former titleholder.
Of most urgency therefore is for MTK Global to get Nietes a fight to return him to the world rankings. A fight against any of the rated super flyweights as Andrew Moloney, Pedro Guevarra or former past victim Francisco Rodriguez could be explored.
This is timely because later this October, Estrada and Gonzalez will be figuring in separate major title bouts in Mexico in what is projected as a preview to their own highly anticipated second confrontation early next year.
Sor Rungvusai in the meanwhile is holed up in his native Thailand where he has kept himself relevant by fighting fellow Thai ex world titlist Amnat Ruenroeng and Filipino journeyman Jomar Fajardo in series of stay busy bouts. Sor Rungvusai is also looking for another chance to fight Estrada and or Gonzalez.
Given these, MTK could even fast track Nietes return and even give him a chance for pole position in the jockeying for the Estrada-Gonzalez sweepstakes by pitting Donnie against Sor Rungvusai straight away!
Anything less and Nietes may find himself again as an outsider looking into the Estrada-Gonzalez-SSR merry go round notwithstanding his latching up with a big promoter as MTK Global.
And having to content himself with any of Kazuto Ioka- Kosei Tanaka winner, fellow Pinoy Jerwin Ancajas or WBA sub champion Joshua Franco as career capper "as his window for big fights closes".
Cliff Rold could turn out to also be a boxing prophet if this happens.
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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