Donaire targeting Rigondeaux and Mares for his next fight in 2013

By ESB - 12/16/2012 - Comments

By Rob Smith: Boxing fans will be happy to know that WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire (30-1, 19 KO’s) is finally stepping it up for his next fight and facing someone still relevant in WBC super bantamweight champion Abner Mares and WBA super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux. Donaire said he wants to fight one of those guys next.

Last Saturday night, Donaire obliterated Jorge Arce (61-7-2, 46 KO’s) in a 3rd round knockout in one of Donaire’s many mismatches, expect this was considered a huge one before the fight even started. It was basic money fight match-up and little more than that, because Arce has a big Mexican fan base due to his many accomplishments over the years. However, he’s not the same fighter he once was and fighting at super bantamweight was a bad idea, although not a bad idea in terms of Arce getting a big payday.

Arce reportedly made $800,000 for the fight. I guess that made it worth it for him to take on a big super bantamweight like Donaire.

After destroying Arce, Donaire said “Bring ‘em all on. Mares is my first choice because he’s calling me out, but we have Rigondeaux ready if that fight cannot be made.”

The Donaire-Mares fight probably can’t be made because Mares fights for Golden Boy Promotions and Donaire for Top Rank. However, Donaire can definitely fight Rigondeaux because both of them are in the same Top Rank stable.

It would be a big risk on Donaire’s part to fight Rigondeaux because this guy can fight, and he’s not an old fighter like some of Donaire’s recent victims like Toshiaki Nishioka and Arce. He’s not much younger than Arce, but Rigondeaux doesn’t have a lot of miles on him because he’s only fighting as a pro for 11 fights, and he rarely gets hit.

There’s really not much left for Donaire to fight at super bantamweight unless Arum wants to match Donaire with a bad his best Christian Mijares and Rafael Marquez. Don’t laugh, Donaire was supposed to fight Mijares recently.