By "Mr. Boxing" Giancarlo Oquendo
As first revealed by veteran reporter Jose Sanchez, Top Rank's CEO Bob Arum is very interested in staging a September HBO televised doubleheader from Puerto Rico. In the main event, Nonito Donaire (31-1, 20 KOs) would face Juan Manuel Lopez (32-2, 29 KOs), and the co-feature would have WBO super featherweight champion Rocky "Roman" Martinez (27-1-2, 16KOs) defending against Mikey Garcia (31-0, 26KOs).
In order for all of this to happen, Donaire would have to win Saturday's super bantamweight unification with Cuba's Guillermo Rigondeaux (11-0, 8 KOs). Also, Garcia would have to get past a June defense of his WBO featherweight title, which is likely going to come against Orlando Cruz.
Peter Rivera of Puerto Rico Best Boxing assured Arum that Juanma would be able to get down to 126-pounds for a fight with Donaire. If Donaire and Juanma collide, there is a possibility that the vacant WBO featherweight title will be at stake - if Garcia's title becomes vacant with his move to challenge for the 130-pound version of the belt.
"It would be a big event in Puerto Rico. We told Peter [Rivera] that's what we'd do if Donaire beats Rigondeaux, put him in against Juanma. If Mikey wins his fight in June, he would also be on the card in a fight against Martinez," Arum said. "Peter said Juanma should not have trouble making 126 pounds. He fights in Mexico on April 20 at 128 pounds, so it would be a matter of training and not gaining too much weight between fights."
Giancarlo Oquendo is TV boxing analyst for PRSN Network and the podcast "Boxeo Estelar Radio." Follow him on twitter @mrboxingtab.