ALA Promotions is negotiating with Mexican’s biggest promoter Zanfer Promotions for a huge deal that could pit two of the best fighters in boxing’s lower weight classes - World Boxing Organization (WBO) light flyweight king Donnie Nietes and WBO and World Boxing Association (WBA) flyweight champion Juan Francisco Estrada.
“We are working on a May 21 event for Donnie in Cebu with Zanfer and hope to agree with them on a deal with Estrada in September at the StubHub,” ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer told Sun.Star Cebu.
Nietes will first defend his title in a huge show at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC), the same venue where former ALA Boy Z Gorres fought Fernando Montiel for the WBO super flyweight crown in 2007.
This supposedly was a mandatory title defense against No. 1 contender Moises Fuentes, who already fought Nietes twice. But ALA Promotions believes that that fight won’t sell here because Nietes already knocked out Funetes in their second meeting in 2014 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
“It will be the biggest event that we’ll do in Cebu. The thing is we hope to ask the WBO if we could do Fuentes later and get a different opponent as there was no point in fighting Fuentes again in the Philippines as Donnie already knocked him out,” said Aldeguer, who hopes to get Nietes a worthy challenger for May, probably an established former world champion.
The 33-year-old Nietes is eager to fight the big names and aside from pound--pound king Roman Gonzalez, Estrada is also on his wish list.
“I don’t know who my next opponent is. But it would be better if it would either be Gonzalez or Estrada. The fans won’t be excited if I would fight Fuentes again. But it depends on them (ALA Promotions), whoever they put in front of me I’ll fight him,” said Nietes, the longest reigning Filipino world champion.
If everything goes according to plan, Nietes will have his title defense in May in Cebu, a super fight with Estrada in September in Carson, California and then probably face Fuentes next.
Nietes was recently awarded by Spin.PH as one of the Top 10 performers last year. He will also be awarded next week by the Philippine Sportswriter Association (PSA) as its Athlete of the Year along with Nonito Donaire Jr. and golfer Miguel Tabuena.
“I thank them for giving me recognition for the things that I have done,” said the ever humble Nietes.