BACOLOD CITY – Bigger things are coming the way of Donnie Nietes, especially if he gets past Raul Garcia in their World Boxing Organization (WBO) light-flyweight title match on Saturday night.
The 33-year-old champ is being lined up for big fights against two-time opponent Moises Fuentes and reigning WBO flyweight king Juan Francisco Estrada.
ALA Promotions CEO and president Michael Aldeguer bared Nietes is already primed up for a September 24 title defense against Fuentes at the StubHub Center in Carson, California should he beat Garcia in their 12-round showdown at the La Salle Coliseum here.
Aldeguer just returned from the US where he struck a deal with Mexico-based firm Zanfer Promotions.
“Of course, we don’t want to get ahead of it because Donnie still has to fight (Garcia). But his next match is a mandatory one against Fuentes,” said Aldeguer on Saturday afternoon at the L’Fisher Hotel here.
The longest reigning Filipino world champion has twice beaten Fuentes in the past, the last a ninth-round technical knockout in their 2014 rematch at the Mall of Asia Arena.
But the Filipino is mandated to face the Mexican challenger again since he’s currently rated No. 1 by the WBO.
“Since we couldn’t come to an agreement for them (Fuentes camp) to come here and Donnie to come to Mexico, we felt it would be best for us to have it at instead at the StubHub Center,” said Aldeguer of the Carson venue where the champion had his US debut last October.
In the event Nietes fails in his title defense against Garcia during the main event of Pinoy Pride 36: A Legend in the Making, the two will instead, face each other again on the same date originally intended for the Fuentes bout.
“We have a rematch clause (for the Garcia fight), and the option is an immediate rematch, which should take on September 24,” explained Aldeguer, adding popular Mexican beer Tecate is set to come in as one of the promotion's major sponsors.
Another option in the horizon for Nietes, a native of Murcia, Negros Occidental, is a long-awaited duel with the 26-year-old Estrada.
Aldeguer said HBO has already shown interest on a Nietes-Estrada match to be fought at 112 lbs, which means the Filipino warrior will have to go up in weight.
“He wants the big fights given he’s not getting any younger,” said Aldeguer of Nietes (37-1-4, 21 KOs) a two-time world champion, who’s making his ninth defense of his title against Garcia.
The ALA Promotions executive also mentioned the possibility of putting up a promotions in Dubai by late this year or early next year featuring reigning WBO super-bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire.
After the Nietes match, the Cebu-based boxing stable will be holding a July 9 fight card in San Diego, California featuring unbeaten Albert Pagara against dangerous Mexican Cesar Juarez.