By Ronnie Nathanielsz
The manager of IBF/IBO flyweight champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire says there are indications the postponed April 22 title fight against Raul “Cobra” Martinez may be on again.
In an overseas telephone conversation with BoxingScene.com, insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports early Tuesday morning (Manila Time) Dunkin revealed that Solar Sports CEO Peter Chanliong had called and said “the fight will be on and so we are looking at it again.”
Dunkin disclosed that Chanliong had spoken to Donaire and his wife Rachel who helps handle the communications amidst indications that “they are trying to work it out.”
Donaire’s manager who had told us last Sunday that he had serious doubts whether Solar Sports which is co-promoting the fight with Top Rank at the Araneta Coliseum could raise the necessary sponsorship funds since the April 22 date was too close to the Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton showdown and “any sponsor money would go into that fight and nobody is going to come and see this fight.”
In addition Dunkin told us “I don’t know what’s going on but my boxer (Donaire) has been training for two months and this is the fourth time the date has been changed. This time it’s a radical change and I am not going to keep him in the fight. No way.”
Donaire broke camp in Baguio City and returned to Manila and had planned to return to Los Angeles on Thursday. But the departure plans have been put on hold after Dunkin revealed that “they are not going to go back right now. There’ll be a conference call tomorrow (Wednesday, Manila Time) and they are going to talk and we are going to see what we’re going to do.”
