MANILA, Philippines - Pound-for-pound champion Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez is not taking Donnie Nietes’ challenge seriously and doubts if the long – time reigning Filipino world champion really wants to fight him.
“I honestly do not think he wants to,” Gonzalez told www.boxingscene.com.
The brown-skinned Nicaraguan said he’d met Nietes a couple of times when they were still campaigning in the lower ranks.
And he got the feeling that Nietes doesn’t want to fight him.
“I met him in Mexico to talk about (a possible fight) and he didn’t want to,” added the 28-year-old Gonzalez, younger and, to most eyes, better and stronger than the Filipino.
Last time Nietes faced the press, following a 12-round decision over Mexico’s Juan Alejo in Carson, California, he said he’s ready for Gonzalez, undefeated in 44 fights.
Even before he fought Alejo, the 33-year-old Nietes kept on calling Gonzalez name, saying he’d wants to move up in weight and shoot for the WBC flyweight title.
Nietes has been world champion for eight years now – at 104 lbs and 108 lbs. He hasn’t lost any of his fights since 2004, and is now at 37-1-4.
He thinks he’s ready for Gonzalez, who knocked out Brian Viloria in New York on the same night Nietes fought Alejo in Carson.
As world champion, Nietes has yet to fight in the big stage, under the bright lights of Vegas or New York. His fight against Alejo was his first in the United States.