By Ronnie Nathanielsz

The International Boxing Federation has ordered IBF flyweight champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire who was recently ranked No. 8 by the prestigious Ring Magazine in its pound-for-pound list to defend his title in a mandatory defense again, against South Africa ’s Moruti Mthalane.

Donaire’s last mandatory was on November 1, 2008 when he scored a 6th round TKO over Mthalane at the Mandalay Bay Resort Hotel and Casino when the ring physician told referee Joe Cortez the game little South African was bleeding badly from a cut over the left eye and was in no position to continue. At the time of the stoppage Donaire who threw more punches and power shots was leading on the scorecards of all three judges.

IBF Championship Committee chairman Lindsey Tucker informed BoxingScene.com, insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports that Donaire’s handlers led by promoter Bob Arum and manager Cameron Dunkin “to start negotiations for his mandatory defense on June 1, 2009” with Mthalane who is the leading available contender at No. 3.

The IBF has no fighters ranked No.1 or 2 and Tucker claims that they “started going down the list after that to get the two highest rated available contenders to fight in an eliminator” even as he said “the first three or four flyweights were from Thailand. It took me awhile to before I realized that none of them were interested in fighting for No.1 ”

Tucker also said that Bernard Inom or Andrea Sarritzu were also not interested and when he “finally got down to No. 9 Koki Kameda and No. 12  Evert Briceno. He said that after agreeing to fight earlier this year,  Kameda pulled out a week before the fight and when he started “going down the list again I got to Eric Ortiz and I was told he was interested. That fight never worked out.”

Tucker maintains he “tried again but was unable to get anyone who was willing to fight Briceno. I abandoned the eliminator after I felt that I did not have enough time to complete it.”

A rundown of the ratings as of May 12, 2009 on the IBF website shows the only Thai in the top is No. 12 Wandee Singwancha who was knocked out in the second round  by undefeated Filipino southpaw “Marvelous “ Marvin Sonsona last May 28 in Cebu City.  Koki Kameda is also not ratnked in the top 15 where two other Filipinos are rated with Richard Garcia at No. 11 and Richie Mepranum at No. 14.