By Chris Williams: WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire (31-1, 20 KO’s) is ready to walk away from his scheduled unification bout against WBA World super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux (11-0, 8 KO’s) unless the 32-year-old Rigondeaux signs the agreement for the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) testing that Donaire wants for the April 13th fight.
Donaire said to RingTV “If he doesn’t sign it then I’m going to pull out. I don’t need him. I can always get someone else…He needs this fight more than I do.”
Donaire maintains that he doesn’t require for his opponents to agree to the extra testing in order for him to fight them, but since Rigondeaux said he would agree to the testing to get the fight then he should stick to his word.
If Rigondeaux doesn’t agree to the testing then we’ll likely see Donaire face 37-year-old Vic Darchinyan on April 13th. That was the other name that Donaire’s promoter Bob Arum was seriously considering after he turned down a $3 million offer from Golden Boy for Donaire to face Abner Mares.
The division thins out dramatically after Rigondeaux and Darchinyan. It’s an accumulation of marginal fighters along with a couple of decent younger fighters, but no one nearly as good as Rigondeaux or Darchinyan.
Donaire says he sees Rigondeaux as a more dangerous opponent than Mares because of his cautious style of fighting and his power. Donaire knows what he’s getting if he faces the aggressive Mares, but with Rigondeaux it’s a much tougher fight in theory. Donaire doesn’t seem too excited about the prospects of taking the fight with Rigondeaux.
Donaire using the excuse of Rigondeaux not agreeing to his extra testing could be just an excuse for Donaire to avoid a dangerous fight. If you look at it from a logical point of a few, it Donaire isn’t forcing his opponents to agree to the VADA testing then why would he walk away from a fight against the very best opponents he’s ever faced if the guy won’t agree to the testing? That doesn’t make sense.
If you’re not requiring your opposition to take the extra testing, then why would you walk away from the most dangerous opponent of your career? It just seems like a convenient excuse for Donaire to use in order to avoid a fight he might lose.
Comments are closed.