Nietes Title Shot Looms For Rodriguez With Win Tonight

By Jake Donovan

The last time Francisco Rodriguez Jr. and Jomar Fajardo squared off, it was simply means for a champion in a lower division testing the waters in a heavier weight class. It was a night the unified strawweight titlist took for granted, as he was held to a draw in their November clash in Philippines.

Far more is at stake in their rematch tonight in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Mexico. A win by Rodriguez Jr. preserves his pursuit of 108 lb. titlist Donnie Nietes, as per the terms of a recent purse bid hearing ordered by the World Boxing Organization (WBO).

Official notification was sent Friday afternoon to Zanfer Box - Rodriguez Jr's promoter - as well as ALA Promotions, Nietes' promoter in the Philippines. 

"Please be advised the parties have 30 (Thirty) days to negotiate an agreement. If an accord is not reached within the time frame, a Purse Bid will be ordered in the following 10 (Ten) days," stated Luis Batista, the WBO Ratings Committee Chairman and also an attorney for the Puerto Rico-based organization. "If it goes to Purse Bid, the minimum amount for Jr. Flyweight division is $80,000.00 (Eighty Thousand Dollars).

"Any one of the parties involved may call for a purse bid at any time during the negotiation process." 

Should the matter go to a purse bid, it still doesn't guarantee Rodriguez Jr. next in line, even with a win on Saturday evening. Nietes is slated to take an optional defense in late March against fringe contender Luis Ceja, according to BoxingScene.com contributor and ESPN Deportes reporter Salvador Rodriguez.

Wins by Rodriguez Jr. and Nietes will likely set up a summer clash, whether the two sides reach an agreement or the fight goes to purse bid.

Rodriguez Jr. was enjoying an epic 2014 campaign until fighting to a surprising and disappointing draw versus Fajardo last November. The hard-hitting Mexican saw his 21st birthday bookended by separate title wins over previously unbeaten Merlito Sabillo and Katsunari Takayama. 

The latter win made Rodriguez Jr. just the fourth time in the history of the strawweight division (at the time) that at least two belts were unified. Countryman and Hall of Fame entrant Ricardo Lopez turned the trick twice in the 1990s, while Kazuto Ioka doing the same in 2012 with his epic 12-round win over Akira Yaegashi in the first-ever unification clash between reigning titlists from Japan.

Rodriguez Jr., Lopez and Ioka all became unified champs via wins in bona fide Fight of the Year entrants. Lopez' first unification win was a blowout, stopping Alex 'Nene' Sanchez in Aug. '97. His unifier with Rosendo Alvarez in their Nov. '98 rematch was one for the ages, and also his last ever fight at strawweight after having served as the division's king for nearly the entire 1990's. 

Ioka unified two belts with his June '12 war with Yaegashi, also his last fight at the weight before capturing a belt at junior flyweight on 2012 New Year's Eve.

Rodriguez Jr. has a chance to follow suit, though he still has to get past Fajardo (14-5-2, 7KOs). His win over Takayama was hailed by several outlets - including BoxingScene.com - as 2014 Fight of the Year, with no other fight even a close second. His draw with Fajardo came on the undercard of Nietes' most recent title defense, a 7th round stoppage of Carlos Velarde. 

Tonight's rematch airs on UniMas in the United States and TV Azteca in Mexico.