Nonito Donaire in The Dark About His Next Fight
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
IBF flyweight champion Nonito he Filipino Flash” Donaire is in the dark about his next fight which was scheduled for August 22 initially in San Francisco but was reportedly being moved to Las Vegas.
Donaire, who is winding down a delayed honeymoon with wife Rachel in Hawaii, said “that’s what I’m hearing” in reference to an ESPN report quoting Golden Boy Promotions vice president and international matchmaker Eric Gomez as indicating a title defense by newly-crowned WBP junior bantamweight champion Jose “Carita” Lopez and AJ “Bazooka” Banal is likely to happen on the undercard of the Floyd Mayweather Jr-Juan Manuel Marquez showdown on July 18.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum had earlier said he was negotiating for a Lopez title defense against Donaire who had relinquished his IBO title but retained his IBF 112 pound crown and wanted to move up to 115 pounds.
In an overseas telephone conversation with BoxingScene.com, insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports from Hawaii said “I don’t know the whole story" but also said he had “heard something about that” from his manager Cameron Dunkin.
Donaire said he and Rachel were returning to San Francisco tomorrow after relaxing a little bit and having “a great, great time here on the beach and watching the sunset. Its been really awesome.”
He said “I am ready to go to work after this week” to get in shape for his next fight.
In his last fight Donaire scored a smashing 4th round TKO victory over undefeated Raul “Cobra” Martinez from Texas at the famed Araneta Coliseum last April 19.
Meantime, ALA Gym patron Tony Aldeguer said they hadn’t heard anything from Gomez about the reported title fight between Banal who is coming off a 2nd round knockout of highly-touted “African Golden Boy” Mbwanba Matumla last May 16 in Cebu.
