Arum willing to match Donaire against Mares on HBO

04/03/2013 Rob Smith

donaire773 Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is saying that he’d be willing to match his fighter WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire (31-1, 20 KO’s) against the unbeaten Abner Mares (25-0-1, 13 KO’s) in the future, but only if the 27-year-old Mares was willing to face the 30-year-old Donaire on HBO rather than Showtime where Mares typically fights.

Arum said to Ringside SEN Radio in Melbourne that if Mares is “Willing to come over and fight Donaire on HBO that’s fine. [Mares] doesn’t enjoy 25 percent of the popularity Donaire enjoys but if he wants to fight Nonito and get a real good pay we’ll be happy to fight Mares.”

Donaire’s trainer predicting quick KO of Rigondeaux

03/21/201303/20/2013 ESB

By Jeff Sorby: WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire’s trainer Robert Garcia doesn’t see WBA super bantamweight champion Rigondeaux as doing any better than Fernando Montiel did against Donaire. Donaire destroyed Montiel in two rounds a couple a years ago in a fight that many boxing fans thought it would be a competitive match-up going into the fight.

Donaire vs. Rigondeaux: This is a risky fight for Nonito

02/19/201302/18/2013 ESB

By Rob Smith: Bob Arum has finally decided to put his fighter WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire (31-1, 20 KO’s) in with someone that actually still has talent and is capable of beating him in WBA World super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux (11-0, 8 KO’s) on April 13th at the Radio City Music Hall, in New York, New York, USA.

It’s sad that it’s take all these years for Arum to finally match Donaire tough, but it’s better late than never. Rigondeaux has the speed, power, counter punching ability the defensive skills to pull off an upset in this fight. I don’t even know if you could call it an upset because Rigondeaux is unbeaten, and he’s looked scary good since turning pro in 2009 after capturing two gold medals for Cuba in the Olympics.

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

02/11/2013 ESB

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.

Rigondeaux expected to sign for Donaire fight

02/09/2013 ESB

By Rob Smith: WBA World super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux (11-0, 8 KO’s) is reportedly expected to sign for a fight against fellow Top Rank fighter WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire (31-1, 20 KO’s) for a fight that will take place on April 13th at Madison Square Garden, in New York.

Rigondeaux will be Donaire’s first real test of his career because his opponents have been lacking in a big way. Rigondeaux can actually fight and has an excellent chance of beating Donaire with his fast hands, powerful body punching, and excellent defense. Rigondeaux has the skills to nullify Donaire’s left hook, and without that weapon, Donaire is a pretty average fighter.

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

01/26/2013 ESB

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.

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.

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

09/15/201601/22/2013 ESB

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.

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.

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

01/20/201301/18/2013 ESB

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.