By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Japan’s WBC super bantamweight champion Toshiaki Nishioka pounded out an impressive twelve round unanimous decision over former two division champion Rafael Marquez, brother of WBA lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
It was a good fight but the Japanese southpaw finished aggressively to win on the scorecards of all three judges, 117-111, 115-113 and 116-112.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum who had earlier told us he had an agreement for the winner of the Nishioka-Marquez title fight to face Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire who wants to move up to super bantamweight after successfully defending his WBC/WBO bantamweight title against undefeated Omar Andres Narvaez at New York’s Madison Square Garden on October 22, early next year.
However, in an interview with boixngscene.com/philboxing.com/insidesports.ph shortly after Nishioka won, Arum said the planned Donaire-Nishioka fight will not happen as earlier planned for mid-January and that “probably Nishioka won’t fight Donaire until May or June because he wants to take a rest.”
Arum said “This will give Donaire an opportunity to have two fights before he fights Nishioka.”
Arum was clearly impressed by the Japanese champion. He said “I think Nishioka is a very, very tough guy to fight and he is very good.”
The Top Rank promoter raised the possibility of Donaire fighting WBO super bantamweight champion Jorge “Travieso” Arce.
Arum said the Mexican warrior had agreed to fight Donaire and this could be the fight before the showdown with Nishioka.