Ioka Upends Donnie Nietes in Tokyo: The Last Hurrah for the Great Filipino?

There are eight active boxers who have won titles in four weight classes. Two of the eight – Kazuto Ioka and Donnie Nietes – squared off today in Tokyo. Ioka was making the fifth defense of his WBO 115-pound title after previously winning titles at 105, 108, and 112.

Nietes also won the titles in those weight classes. In fact, he previously held the title that Ioka was defending. That title was vacant when Ioka and Nietes met on New Year’s Eve 2018 in Macau. Nietes won a split decision and then relinquished the belt which fell into the hands of Ioka.

Today’s rematch found Ioka in the role of the would-be avenger. For Nietes, who returned to the sport last year after sitting out all of 2019 and 2020, it was an opportunity to emboss his impressive legacy.

Age and inactivity caught up with Nietes, no disrespect to Ioka who is building a nice legacy of his own. The decision after 12 rounds was a formality. The judges had it 120-108, 118-110, and 117-111 for the local man who improved his ledger to 29-2 (15).

Ioka worked the body effectively and was the busier man. There were no knockdowns, but Nietes suffered a gash over his left eye in round 10 from an apparent clash of heads. The ringside physician gave it a look-see and let the match continue.

Throughout his career, Donnie Nietes has toiled in the shadow of Filipino countryman Manny Pacquiao. Few people noticed that prior to today, Nietes hadn’t lost in 18 years! And that prior defeat, way back in 2004, was by split decision in Indonesia against an Indonesian opponent who outweighed him by 6 pounds.

There were many close calls as reflected in a half-dozen draws. Nietes’ record, heading into his rematch with Ioka, was 42-1-6 (23). However, it’s a record that will likely translate into a berth in Canastota, albeit we suspect not in his first year of eligibility. With the four lowest weight classes separated from the class above it by only three or four pounds, winning multiple titles lacks the wow factor.

Nietes (pictured on the right) turned 40 in May. In a pre-fight interview, he said, “I think I could box for another three to five years. I don’t have any vices and am not that abusive to my body, so I believe I can still be fighting for that long.”

He needs to re-think it. To be 40 years old isn’t the same for a man in his weight class as it is for a heavyweight.

Ioka, 33, has won six straight since his first meeting with Nietes. Looking down the road, there are some mouth-watering potential matches for him. Junior bantamweight, aka super flyweight, is a strong division. Mexico’s Juan Francisco Estrada appears on many pound-for-pound lists, Nicaragua’s Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez remains a force, and then there’s the new kid on the block, Robert Garcia’s protégé Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, a special talent.

It’s doubtful that Ioka will lock horns with Estrada, Gonzalez, or Rodriguez any time soon, but one or more of these fights is almost certain to transpire down the road and for boxing purists it will be a “must-see” attraction.

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