by Ronnie Nathanielsz
Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire will face South Africa’s WBA world featherweight champion Simpiwe Vetyeka in Macau in either late April or early May.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told BoxingScene.com/Manila Standard - “We are hoping to do Nonito’s fight with the South African in Macau as soon as they give me a date.”
Arum who will be in Macau next week, ahead of his February 22 fight card at the Cotai Arena of the sprawling Venetian Resort Hotel and Casino, said he will meet with the Venetian executives on Wednesday to finalize details.
Donaire is coming off a 9th round TKO in a rematch with Australia’s hard-hitting southpaw Vic Darchinyan who was leading on the scorecards of the judges before Donaire nailed him with his patented left hook to force a stoppage.
Vetyeka won the title with a stunning victory over longtime Indonesian world champion Chris John who retired in the 6th round in a fight card in Metro City, Western Australia.
Former WBO/WBA flyweight champion Brian Viloria who lost his titles to Mexico’s tough Juan Francisco Estrada, also in Macau, will be on the Donaire undercard. There was no word on who Viloria’s opponent will be although Arum said prior to the Macau fight, Viloria will see action “on one of our UniMas cards.”
Arum said the Macau card which will feature three former Olympic gold medalists led by two-time winner Zou Shiming of China “is going very well.”
He also mentioned the IBF lightweight championship between Miguel Vazquez (33-3, 13 KO’s) and Denis Shafikov (33-0-1, 18 KO’s) and the WBO International featherweight title fight between former world super flyweight champion “Marvelous” Marvin Sonsona (17-1-1, 14 KO’s) and Japan’s Akifumi Shimoda (28-3-2, 12 KO’s).
Two other promising Filipinos will also see action on the card with super flyweight Jerwin Ancajas (18-1-1, 10 KO’s) taking on Thailand’s Inthanon Sithchamuang (20-6, 11 KO’s) and undefeated super featherweight Harmonito DeLa Torre (11-0, 6 KO’s battling Yakobus Heluka (7-5, 0 KO’s) of Indonesia.