By Rick Reeno
Earlier this week, BoxingScene.com had a mixed bag of tricks when it came to the proposed rematch between WBC/WBA super flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan and WBA-interim champion Nonito Donaire. The rematch has been brewing since Donaire scored a fifth round knockout over Darchinyan in July 2007. On May 3, Top Rank CEO Bob Arum told BoxingScene.com's Ronnie Nathanielsz that a deal had been reached and Donaire was flying to Las Vegas to sign a contract. That same day, Darchinyan's promoter Gary Shaw advised BoxingScene that a deal had not been reached and the two sides were still negotiating. The fight fell apart the following day.
Once the fight fell apart, Darchinyan verbally assaulted Donaire in several articles. Donaire's manager Cameron Dunkin tells BoxingScene.com that his fighter was ready to go. The fallout has nothing to do with the fighters, says Dunkin. The crumbling of the deal was caused by a financial dispute between the promoters.
"For two months we've been talking about this fight. We accepted the fight but we didn't know what the money was. We waited and we waited and we waited and we didn't know how much we were getting, they didn't tell us what the television money was or how much they were going to pay us or anything - up until a week and a half ago when they gave me an offer," Dunkin told BoxingScene.com.
"They said Gary wasn't calling them back, that they hadn't heard from Gary, and Gary was saying and putting out on the internet that they hadn't called him and was having trouble getting a returned call - because you did it, you wrote it. I don't know who is telling the truth but someone is lying. That's between the promoters and that's their business and whatever but all of this other stuff is ridiculous about Doniare being afraid to take the fight. He fought him when he was undefeated. Darchinyan said he was disappointed. If he was so disappointed then why did he pull out when Donaire was going there to sign the contract. The fight is not until August 21st."
Dunkin sensed there was trouble several weeks ago when the promoters could not agree on the money involved with the Philippines TV rights. He sat back while they fought it out, and waited for Top Rank to present him with a number for his fighter's purse. Once they gave him the number, Dunkin spoke with Doniare and they accepted the fight.
"Top Rank said, and this is their side, that Gary came back and wanted half of the Philippines and Top Rank said we gave him Armenia, we gave him Australia, we gave him a fee for the rest of the world - he can't have the Philippines. Gary's point was, Top Rank told him that it was a 50-50 split, and that included the Philippines and Top Tank said 'why would we do that?' So they are bickering back and forth, and meanwhile no contract. We don't have a contract. We never saw a contract," Dunkin said.
"A week and a half ago they gave us a number and told us that we would get a piece of this and a piece of that on top of that number. We said fine, make the fight. We said make the fight, but they said 'we can't because of Gary' and Gary was saying he can't because of Top Rank."
What's done is done, but Dunkin is bothered by all of the trash talk being hurled at his fighter. He doesn't blame Darchinyan for the fight falling apart, and says Darchinyan should not blame Donaire. At the end of the day, Dunkin believes the promoters, and not the fighters, were the reason for the fallout.
"I don't care whether he signed the contract or not. I don't know what that has to do with him being brave and my guy not being brave. That's ridiculous. Donaire is not afraid of Darchinyan and Darchinyan is not afraid of Donaire. All of that stuff is stupid to play these games that he's afraid. These guys are fighters. They are not afraid. It's a matter of business. It's matter of money," Dunkin said.
"It was printed by your site, that the Donaires were flying in to sign a contract. We never saw a contract because before I could get to the office with the Donaires, I got a call from Top Rank telling me Gary pulling the plug on the fight because it was taking too long [to make]. We didn't pull the plug on the fight so for Darchinyan to come out and call Donaire a coward - its bullsh*t. He was ready to go."
With the Darchinyan fight off the table, Top Rank has set up a new direction for Donaire, which includes a year ending mega-bout with WBO/WBC bantamweight champion Fernando Montiel. Darchinyan returns on May 20 in Australia against Eric Barcelona for the vacant IBO bantamweight title, and then wants a major fight in August.
