By Adrian Stewart Co
Negrense boxer Donnie Nietes is set to end his two-year boxing hiatus as he battles Panamanian boxer Orlando Penalba on April 3 at Ceasar Palace in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
This will be the first match of the Murcia, Negros Occidental-native Nietes since capturing the WBO world super flyweight championship against Japanese Kazuto Ioka on December 31, 2018.
Nietes, who recently signed with Dubai-based MTK Global and D4G Promotions, said he is excited with his impending ring return and is confident that he will fare well against Penalba.
“As far as I know, 10 rounds ‘yung magiging laban namin ni (Penalba) and I am confident that I can beat him,” said Nietes, who is a four-division world boxing champion.
Apart from scoring a convincing win against Penalba, Nietes also hopes to break into the world rankings and fight the likes of Roman Gonzalez, Juan Francisco Estrada and Srisaket Sor Rungvisai.
As he prepares for his boxing return, Nietes has been sparring with professional boxer KJ Cataraja and Jeo Santisima and amateur fighters Reymart Tagacanao and Christian Balunan at the Villamor Brothers Boxing Gym in Cebu.
“Napag-aralan ko na ‘yung galaw niya. He is not a slugger, but just a normal boxer,” the Negrense boxer said. “I am ready for him. I don’t feel stiff and my movement is now relaxed.”
The 39-year-old Nietes currently has a 42-1-5 win-loss-draw ring record, including 23 stoppage wins. The Negrense boxer’s lone defeat was a controversial decision against Indonesian Angka Angkotta in 2004.
The 27-year-old Penalba, who is the current WBO Latino super flyweight champion, has an unbeaten 10-0-0 slate with two stoppage wins. He last stepped in the ring against Kiever Fernandez on February 8, 2020.
Nietes’ fellow Filipino boxer and stablemate Albert Pagara is also making his ring return against a still undefeated opponent in the undercard of boxing event headlined by Jamel Herring and Carl Frampton./ASC, WDJ