Mandatory defense next for Nietes

MANILA, Philippines - WBO minimumweight champion Donnie Nietes, fresh from retaining his crown via a unanimous 12-round decision over Mexican challenger Mario (Dragoncito) Rodriguez, said yesterday he is looking forward to unifying the title but before trying to lure any of the three other 105-pound rulers into the ring, will be required to make a mandatory defense in October.

ALA Boxing Gym owner Tony Aldeguer said Nietes’ next fight will be a defense against No. 1 contender Carlos Buitrago of Nicaragua. If Aldeguer is able to negotiate a deal, Nietes will face Buitrago in Cebu or Manila in a double world championship card with WBO women’s superbantamweight titlist Ana Julaton.

Nietes, 28, overcame a late meltdown due to oven-like conditions to defeat Rodriguez in Sinaloa, Mexico, last Saturday night. It was his fourth successful title defense since claiming the vacant throne by outpointing Thailand’s Pornsawan Kratingdaeng-Gym in 2007.

Now known as “The Little Mexecutioner,” Nietes has turned back Mexicans in his last three defenses in Mexico – a record for a Filipino. Before Rodriguez, Nietes repulsed Erik Ramirez and Manuel Vargas. His first defense was a knockout over Nicaragua’s Eddy Castro.

Buitrago, 18, boasts a 16-0 record, with 11 KOs. He has never fought outside Nicaragua since turning pro in 2008. Last year, Buitrago survived a knockdown to halt Edgar Jimenez in the seventh round for the WBO Youth minimumweight crown in Managua.

Nietes said after disposing of Buitrago, he plans to challenge WBC minimumweight champion Oleydong Sithsanerchai of Thailand to unify the WBO and WBC titles. If Oleydong isn’t available, Nietes will call out WBA king Roman Gonzalez of Nicaragua. A third option is IBF titleholder Nkosinathi Joyi of South Africa. Oleydong, Gonzalez and Joyi are all undefeated. Oleydong, 25, has a 34-0 record, with 12 KOs. Gonzalez, 23, is 25-0, with 21 KOs and Joyi, 27, is 21-0, with 15 KOs.

Aldeguer said Nietes shouldn’t find it difficult to beat either Oleydong or Gonzalez. The question is whether either fighter will be willing to meet Nietes. Aldeguer said Joyi is a tough customer and Nietes must be at his best to defeat the South African who won the IBF title by decisioning Florante Condes’ tormentor Raul Garcia of Mexico last March.

Neither Gonzalez nor Joyi has a scheduled title defense. Oleydong is set to stake his crown against Juan Hernandez in Mexico City on Sept. 25.

Nietes said next year, he’ll likely move up to the lightflyweight division where the weight limit is 108 pounds. His ultimate dream is to challenge WBC titleholder Omar Nino Romero or WBO king Ivan Calderon or both. Romero, 34, is on his second reign as WBC champion – he won both titles at the expense of Filipinos Brian Viloria and Rodel Mayol. Calderon, 35, will battle WBA champion Giovanni Segura in a unification duel in Puerto Rico on Aug. 28.

Aldeguer said it’s about time that Nietes is given the recognition he deserves as one of only two reigning Filipino world boxing champions today, the other being WBO welterweight belt holder Manny Pacquiao.

Nietes is chasing Luisito Espinosa’s record of three years and five months as the second longest reigning Filipino world titlist behind Flash Elorde who ruled for seven years and three months on the junior lightweight throne from 1960 to 1967. Nietes won the WBO crown in September 2007 and is approaching three years as champion. Pacquiao is unbeaten as a world champion since March 2008 but his reign has extended to four divisions from superfeatherweight to welterweight.

Nietes, who got his nickname Ahas for taking care of Aldeguer’s pet pythons, will arrive with his traveling party in Manila tomorrow morning.   His record is 27-1-3, with 15 KOs and he hasn’t lost in his last 18 outings since dropping a highly-disputed hometown split decision to Angky Angkota in Jakarta in 2004.

“I hope that with our dwindling number of world champions, our countrymen are aware that out there in hostile territory, a Filipino titleholder fought and won for the honor and glory of our country,” said Aldeguer’s son Michael, the ALA Boxing president. “Nietes is not a Pacquiao but nevertheless, he is still a Filipino world boxing champion. He is our pride and needs our support.”