Donaire vs. Rigondeaux: Nonito in risky fight on 4/13

02/11/2013 ESB

rigondeaux4 By Jeff Sorby: WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire (31-1, 20 KO’s) is finally facing a quality fighter in WBA World super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux (11-0, 8 KO’s) on April 13th in New York. Rigondeaux is expected to sign shortly, and the fight will then likely take place in New York at Madison Square Garden.

The southpaw Rigondeaux potentially has the talent to give Donaire a lot of problems due to his power, speed, counter punching ability and defensive skills. Donaire defeated Jorge Arce, Toshiaki Nishioka, Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. and Jeffrey Mathebula in 2012. Some boxing experts thought Arce and Nishioka were going to be tough tests for Donaire, but they ended up being badly over-matched in losing by knockouts.

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Golden Boy offers Top Rank $3 mil for Donaire-Mares fight

01/26/2013 ESB

mares56 mares56 By Rob Smith: Top Rank CEO Richard Schaefer has reportedly sent a large $3 million offer to Bob Arum of Top Rank for him to consider a mega fight between his fighter WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire and WBC champion Abner Mares. Golden Boy and Mares have both signed the contract and they’re waiting for Donaire to sign on the dotted line for a fight that will take place in no later than June, according to Dan Rafael.

Schaefer is skeptical that Arum will agree to the deal even though it’ll be by far the biggest payday of Donaire’s boxing career. Schaefer doesn’t think Arum will agree to the deal for some reason. The $3 million would be split up between the two fighters.

Top Rank can have their name as the one that’s promoting the fight, and Donaire can have the top billing, Schaefer said. They just want the fight so they’re willing to give Top Rank and Donaire these things. The fight won’t involve a catchweight and there won’t be a rematch clause on the contract nor any kind of options. In other words, it’ll be a straight up one-fight only.

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Donaire chosen as 2012 Fighter of the year by BWAA

01/29/201301/26/2013 ESB

By Rob Smith: The Boxing Writers Association of American has selected WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire as their Fighter of the year for beating four opponents in 2012. They saw victories over Jeffrey Mathabula, Jorge Arce, Toshiaki Nishioka and Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. as enough to give Donaire the Fighter of the Year award. They also picked Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez 4 as Fight of the year, and Robert Garcia as the trainer of the year.

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Mare’s manager working with Arum on Donaire-Mares fight for April 13th

09/15/201601/22/2013 ESB

mares34 mares34 By Jeff Sorby: Frank Espinosa, the manager for unbeaten WBC super bantamweight champion Abner Mares (25-0-1, 13 KO’s) is reportedly working with Top Rank promoter to put together an April 13th fight between Mares and WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire.

This is the big money fight that Donaire and Mares both want and Espinosa is the contact person for Arum in trying to work a deal with Mares’ promoters at Golden Boy Promotions
According to the LA Times, they’ll know whether the fight can be put together within the next couple of weeks.

Part of the deal will be that Donaire gets a little more money than Mares, but if Mares defeats Donaire, then in a rematch Mares will be the one that gets the bigger purse. Richard Schaefer, the CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, doubts that Arum will agree to this deal because Schaefer feels that Arum suspects that Donaire will lose the fight.

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Donaire to fight on April 13th

01/22/201301/21/2013 ESB

By Rob Smith: WBC super bantamweight champion Abner Mares (25-0-1, 13 KO’s) is one of three possible opponent for WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire’s next fight on April 13th, according to Philboxing.com. The other two are WBA super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux and former two division world champion Vic Darchinyan.

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Arum looking to make Donaire-Rigondeaux on April 27th; Mares doesn’t accept offer

01/20/201301/18/2013 ESB

donaire22 By Rob Smith: Top Rank promoter Bob Arum says he made an offer to Golden Boy Promotions for a fight between his fighter WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire (31-1, 20 KO’s) and their fighter WBC super bantamweight champion Abner Mares, but Golden Boy didn’t agree to the offer, according to RingTV.

Arum is now looking to match Donaire against his other top super bantamweight WBA champ Guillermo Rigondeaux (11-0, 8 KO’s) on April 27th at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

This could end up a much tougher fight for the 30-year-old Donaire by virtue of Rigondeaux’s superior speed, counter punching, power and defensive boxing skills. Rigondeaux doesn’t leave himself open nearly as much as Mares typically does thanks to his much more cautious style of fighting. Mares would have been a perfect opponent for Donaire with his aggressive brawling style of fighting. That match-up would have given Donaire a lot of chances to land his big left hook shots.

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Donaire-Rigondeaux possible for April 27th in Las Vegas, Nevada

01/17/2013 ESB

rigondeaux234 By Rob Smith: Bob Arum says a fight between WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire (31-1, 20 KO’s) and WBA champion Guillermo Rigondeaux (11-0, 8 KO’s) is possible for April 27th at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Arum says he’ll try to make the fight that Donaire wants against WBC super bantamweight champion Abner Mares, but if that fight can take place then it’s going to be Donaire-Rigondeaux in April.

Speaking with RingTV, Arum said “We will see [Donaire fight] again hopefully in April. I we can free up Mares, that would be a good fight. If we can’t, then probably Rigondeaux.”

Arum obviously wants the Rigondeaux-Donaire fight because he would be helping out both of his fighters by making this fight. He promotes Rigondeaux as well, and the Cuban fighter badly wants to fight Donaire. A win for Rigondeaux over Donaire would dramatically increase his popularity among U.S boxing fans, although not to the same level as Donaire of course. Donaire has a huge built in Filipino fan base that follow his fights avidly.

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Donaire’s wife pregnant, he doesn’t want to fight June, July or August

01/14/201301/13/2013 ESB

By Jeff Sorby: WBA super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux may not like this news. WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire said on his facebook page his wife is pregnant and that he doesn’t fight in June, July or August because he wants to be with her during this time. Said he’d turn down even millions of dollars if it were offered to him.

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Donaire voted Fighter of the Year for 2012

09/14/201601/01/2013 ESB

donaire423 By Rob Smith: WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire (31-1, 20 KO’s) has been selected as Fighter of the Year for 2012. Donaire got the nod over 39-old Juan Manuel Marquez, who fought only twice in 2012 compared to the four times that Donaire fought. Donaire’s selection was based on wins over Jorge Arce, Wilfredo Vazquez Jr., Jeffrey Mathebula and Toshiaki Nishioka.

Two of those fighters – Arce and Nishioka – were well respected fighters and at were at one time high quality fighters. Vazquez Jr. is one of the best fighters in the 122 pound division, although far from the best. Mathebula had recently won the IBF title against Takalani Ndovu by a 12 round split decision.

Donaire dominating Arce and Toshiaki, but struggled against Vazquez Jr. and Mathebula in wins that weren’t really impressive or even close to being impressive.

It looks like Donaire got the 2012 Fighter of the Year award based on activity level because he four times during 2012 and for his wins over the aging stars Arce and Nishioka. Watching Donaire’s performances against Vazquez Jr. and Mathebula, it would be impossible for me to give Donaire fighter of the year for those victories because Donaire really struggled in those fights and he didn’t look worthy of Fighter of the Year based on those two fights.

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Does Donaire deserve Fighter of the Year?

12/23/201212/22/2012 ESB

By Rob Smith: I was kind of surprised to hear WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire’s name being mentioned by a lot of boxing fans as being a shoe-in for the 2012 Fighter of the Year award. While I think Donaire is a good fighter and has obviously had a good 2012 year in beating all four of his opponents put in with him, I don’t think the quality of his opponents is high enough for Donaire to deserve the Fighter of the Year award.

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