Nietes fails in WBO title bid

Donnie Nietes was beaten to a bloody pulp by Japanese Kazuto Ioka, who successfully defended the World Boxing Organization (WBO) super-flyweight crown for the fifth time on Wednesday night at the Ota City Gymnasium in Tokyo.,Ioka could not finish off the veteran Nietes and settled for a lopsided 12-round unanimous decision in what looked like the 40-year-old Nietes’ last stab at glory.,Ioka opened a hideous cut underneath Nietes’ right eyebrow in the tenth round when he had the Filipino in trouble on the strength of a vicious left hook to the body.,The ring doctor even examined the wound and allowed the fight to resume.,It was sweet revenge fir Ioka, who had lost to Nietes on a close decision on New Year’s Eve of 2018 in Macau.,Three and a half years later, Nietes was unable to turn back the hands of time as his age showed and Ioka’s youth prevailed.,The scores read: 118-110, 120-108 and 117-111.
It was a heartbreaking loss for Nietes, who had not lost in almost two decades.,The loss left the Philippines still without a world title at the moment following the string of losses suffered by Jerwin Ancajas, Nonito Donaire, Rene Cuarto and Mark Magsayo and the stripping of John Riel Casimero.