Mexican light flyweight champ gives up belt to challenge Nietes

MEXICAN world champion Moises Fuentes has decided to relinquish his World Boxing Organization (WBO) mini-flyweight crown and move up in weight to challenge the organization’s light flyweight king, Donnie Nietes, as the mandatory challenger.

According to Philboxing.com, Nietes’ mandatory title defense of his WBO light flyweight crown is already up. After winning the crown last year with a unanimous decision win over Ramon Garcia, the 30-year-old Nietes has only defended it once —a voluntary defense against Felipe Salguero last June 2.

ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer, who was named the “WBO International Promoter of the Year” at the 25th WBO Convention in Florida, has scheduled Nietes’ title defense on Feb. 2 in the next installment of the successful “Pinoy Pride” series here in the Philippines. However, there is a possibility that the fight will be staged in Mexico.

ALA Promotions and Zanfer Promotions, who handles Fuentes, have been given by the WBO 30 days to negotiate and 90 days to finalize the world title bout.

Nietes, 30-1-3 with 16 knockouts, has fought and won against Mexicans in his last seven fights, three of those in Mexico. Some of the renowned Mexicans that he has beaten are current IBF mini-flyweight champion Mario Rodriguez, interim WBA mini-flyweight titlist Jesus Silvestre and former world champions Manuel Vargas and Garcia.

Nietes, who was at ringside in the AJ Banal vs. Pungluang Sor Singyu fight at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, said that he would have a tune-up fight possibly against a Thai opponent next month to keep himself in shape for his title defense.

On the other hand, IBF light flyweight titleholder Johnriel Casimero, who is a boxer also based in Cebu, is also slated to have his mandatory title defense in the first quarter of 2013.

Luis Rios, 18-1-1 with 13 knockouts, became Casimero’s mandatory challenger after a 11th round technical knockout over former world title contender Salguero last Oct. 25 in Panama.

Casimero will most likely be defending his crown in March either in the Philippines or in Panama.

Casimero, 17-2 with 10 knockouts, won the interim IBF 108-pound crown last February with 10th-round stoppage over aging veteran Luis Alberto Lazarte, which was marred with a riot.