THE highly-anticipated bout between Donnie ‘Ahas’ Nietes and Juan Francisco Estrada will have to wait next year as the reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) flyweight and World Boxing Association (WBA) super-flyweight champion from Mexico is set to make a mandatory title defense against Kazuto Ioka of Japan.
ALA Promotions international president and CEO Michael Aldeguer was informed by Zanfer Promotions – the handler of Estrada – about the mandatory letter from the WBA ordering the Mexican champion to defend his 112-lbs. crown against Ioka, the WBA flyweight champ, later this year.
The WBA directive meant putting off until 2017 the projected showdown between two of the biggest names in boxing’s lower weight division.
The latest development also prompted the 34-year-old Filipino to push through with his own mandatory defense of the WBO light-flyweight title against Moises Fuentes on September 24 at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.
Nietes has long coveted meeting Estrada in the ring. If he only has his way, he no longer wants to go up against Fuentes and instead, wants to head straight to the Estrada fight by going up in weight.
Aldeguer has been open about putting up the fight shortly after Nietes’ title defense two months from now.
He recently had talks with Zanfer Promotions during his trip to the US last May in which he also got to learn about HBO’s interest in airing the match.
Nietes (38-1-4, 22 KOs) is coming off a successful title defense of his 108-lbs title following a fifth round stoppage of Mexican Raul Garcia in Bacolod City two months ago, extending his reign as the longest Filipino world champion ever.