Donnie Nietes looks to end Philippines’ title drought against 115-pound titleholder Kazuto Ioka

Donnie Nietes stands in uncommon firm amongst Filipino boxers. Nietes, Manny Pacquiao and Nonito Donaire Jr. are the one three boxers from the Philippines to have received world titles in at the very least 4 divisions. Now, on the age of 40, the nation’s boxing followers look to him to do it yet another time.

Mark Magsayo’s defeat this previous weekend to cede the WBC featherweight title to Rey Vargas has left the Philippines with no single world titleholder for the primary time in over a decade. The nation will get its first try to finish that drought this Wednesday when Nietes faces WBO junior bantamweight titleholder Kazuto Ioka (28-2, 15 KOs) on the Ota-Metropolis Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan.

Nietes, as cool because the blood operating by way of the snake that adorned his shoulders throughout his early ring walks, approaches the duty like enterprise as ordinary.

“It motivates me lots however I simply don’t give stress to myself. Boxing is a sports activities recreation, I simply want to provide my best possible to be a champion once more. It will likely be a reward for myself and the Philippines as properly,” mentioned Nietes (43-1-6, 23 knockouts) of Murcia, Negros Occidental, Philippines. 

The bout would be the second assembly between Nietes and Ioka. Nietes received their first assembly on New 12 months’s Eve in 2018 by cut up resolution, banking on early counterpunching and late aggression to drag out the win in Macau. The win earned Nietes the belt he’ll now problem for, having vacated the belt in 2019, shortly earlier than the purse bid for his necessary problem towards his compatriot Aston Palicte.

The hope was that skipping a second bout with Palicte would open up the opportunity of getting massive fights towards Roman Gonzalez, Juan Francisco Estrada or Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, however with no title belt, Nietes was a excessive danger, low reward proposition for these larger names.

Vacating his title, coupled with the pandemic and the dissolution of his career-long promoter ALA Promotions, saved Nietes out of the ring for the whole thing of 2019 and 2020, costing him worthwhile years of his preventing profession. He returned to the ring in 2021 below the administration of MTK International, after which signed with Probellum final October.

His final two bouts in Dubai have include combined outcomes: a choice win over Pablo Carrillo in April of 2021, adopted by a cut up resolution draw towards Norbelto Jimenez final December.

“I don’t have any frustrations in vacating my title,” mentioned Nietes. “Possibly a bit of dissatisfied as a result of I vacated it to provide probability for an additional Filipino, Palicte, to be a champion additionally nevertheless it didn’t occur. Now I’m completely satisfied and excited to have an opportunity once more in successful it again.”

Probellum President Richard Schaefer insists that Nietes is already a Corridor of Fame caliber fighter, however says he nonetheless has extra struggle in him.

“It’s the fitting time to be in these weight courses and I might not be stunned if Donnie, as soon as he’s world champion once more, says: ‘Hey, I’d as properly add a number of extra titles,’” mentioned Schaefer on the Probellum website.

Nietes agrees. He says he’s nonetheless contemporary, practically 20 years after turning skilled. He has been coaching below long-time coach Edmund Villamor in Cebu Metropolis, Philippines, and says they’ve elevated the depth of their exercises as he’s gotten older.

The 33-year-old Ioka, himself a four-division champion, has saved busy for the reason that Nietes loss, defeating Palicte by tenth spherical stoppage in 2019 to win the title he now holds, making 4 defenses of the belt, together with a career-best efficiency in December of 2020, when he stopped his countryman Kosei Tanaka in eight rounds.

Photograph by Jhay Oh Otamias

Edmund Villamor insists they see one thing in Ioka that they’ll exploit as soon as extra.

“I’m assured as a result of Donnie is aware of Ioka’s type,” mentioned Villamor, who had a 15-1-2 (8 KOs) professional document between 1993 and 1995. “The final two fights of Ioka are the identical type.”

Nietes has misplaced simply as soon as in his profession, a 2004 cut up resolution to Angky Angkotta in Indonesia when Angkotta got here in six kilos over the restrict. Ioka is rated the no. 2 contender within the division by The Ring, whereas Nietes is rated no. 9.

A win might get Nietes again into the dialogue with the highest fighters at 115 kilos, whereas a loss might shut that door without end.

Nietes stays as collected as ever.

“It’s an extra motivation for me however it will likely be by no means be a stress. So long as I’m doing my best possible to get again the belt, then I’m nonetheless a champion in my very own methods,” mentioned Nietes.

Ryan Songalia has written for ESPN, the New York Each day Information, Rappler and The Guardian, and is a part of the Craig Newmark Graduate College of Journalism Class of 2020. He may be reached at [email protected]