Boxing Challenge: Ioka vs Nietes

    It's a rare mid-week boxing challenge but the main event is an important one as WBO junior bantamweight champion Kazuto Ioka defends his title against the former four-division champion and former WBO champion in this division, Donnie Nietes.

These two fought on New Year's Eve 2018 with Nietes winning the vacant belt via a split decision, only to vacate the title before defending it.

Their first fight was controversial as even though the fight was in Ioka's hometown of Tokyo and most thought ( I scored Ioka the winner 115-113) Ioka was the deserving winner, Nietes took the fight with scores for each fighter of 116-112 and a stunningly awful 118-110 score for Nietes.

Ioka has defended the title four times since winning the title vacated by Nietes with a tenth-round knockout of Aston Palicte, including a decision win over long-time minimumweight champion Francisco Rodriguez and an exciting knockout of three-division champion Kosei Tanaka in eight rounds on New Year's Eve 2020 in a mild upset.

Nietes has fought only two times since his win over Ioka, a decision win and a draw in December against Norbelto Jimenez in the UAE, so it is reasonable to wonder about how long Nietes will be an elite fighter considering his current age of 40, which is similar to someone 55 in the heavier weight classes.

Ioka seems to be hitting his stride and while he doesn't seem to be quite on the level of the big three of the division in WBA champion Juan Francisco Estrada, WBC champion Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez, or Roman Gonzalez, Ioka would be competitive against any of the three I think and with IBF champion Fernando Martinez, former champions Nietes, Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, Jerwin Ancjas, and Carlos Cuadras, minor titleist Joshua Franco, and former minimumweight champion Francisco Rodriguez compile along with junior welterweight the deepest and most competitive division in boxing today.

All: Ioka Unanimous Decision