ALA Promotions president Michael Aldefuer has made an offer to Zanfer Promotions head Fernando Beltran for mandatory challenger Moises Fuentes to face WBO light flyweight champion Donnie Nietes at the sprawling Cebu Sports Complex on May 21.
Aldeguer told the Standard: “Negotiations are going on and we are waiting for a response from Beltran.”
The venue is the one that drew some 25,000 fans when Z “The Dream” Gorres fought Mexico’s world champion Fernando Montiel for the WBO super flyweight title, but lost by a somewhat controversial split decision on Feb. 24, 2007.
The WBO declared Fuentes the mandatory challenger for the second time in a trilogy after he figured in a majority draw, with Nietes in their first meeting with two American judges Adalaide Byrd and Pat Russell scoring it an even 114-114, and Filipino judge Danrex Tapdasan having the Filipino ahead, 115-113.
In their rematch, Nietes dropped Fuentes three times in the ninth round to score a spectacular knockout at the Mall of Asia Arena on May 10, 2014, after referee Robert Byrd deducted a point from Nietes for hitting Fuentes following the first knockdown.
Fuentes earned the mandatory shot at Nietes after he won a 12-round split decision over Francisco Rodriguez Jr. in a title eliminator last Dec. 5 in a fight, where Rodriguez came in overweight.
Nietes earlier scored a lopsided decision over Rodriguez at the Cebu Waterfront Hotel and Casino on July 11, 2015.
Fuentes, in a conversation with longtime Cebu resident Mike Lopez of Mexico, claimed that the humidity was the cause of his defeat and said he didn’t want to fight in Manila, but was prepared to face Nietes in Cebu.
Aldeguer said there is an exciting dimension to their third fight since legendary Mexican Erik “El Terrible” Morales, who beat eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao in their first fight of a trilogy, but was knocked out in their next two fights, has taken over the training of Fuentes from another legend, countryman Marco Antonio Barrera, whom he beat by a split decision in their first clash but lost the next two in a terrific trilogy.
The 33-year-old Nietes has a record of 37-1-4, with 21 knockouts, while Fuentes, who is 30, has a record of 23-2-1 with 12 knockouts.