By Dan Ambrose: Top Rank has moved to further beef up their September 15th fight card headlined by WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. vs. Sergio Martinez by adding WBA World super bantamweight champion Gullermo Rigondeaux (10-0, 8 KO’s) in a title defense against one of Top Rank’s stable fighters, 2nd tier prospect Robert Marroquin (22-1, 15 KO’s) at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Guillermo Rigondeaux
Rigondeaux expected to renew contract with Top Rank for two years
By Dan Ambrose: WBA World super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux (10-0, 8 KO’s) is reportedly in negotiations with Top Rank to renew his contract with them that expired yesterday on July 16th, according to fightnews.com. The 31-year-old Rigondeaux could renew for two more years with Top Rank.
Will HBO continue to televise Donaire’s fights if he doesn’t take on Rigondeaux or Mares?
By Chris Williams: You could sort of understand why HBO would want to televise IBF/WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire’s fights when he was competing in the flyweight and super flyweight divisions, because due to his size and power, he was destroying most of the much smaller fighters he was facing in those divisions.
Rigondeaux’s promotional contract with Top Rank expires on July 15th
By Chris Williams: Unbeaten WBA World super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux’s promotional contract with Top Rank expires as of July 15th, and it’s unclear whether Rigondeaux and his manager will be resigning with them. If not, there will no doubt be a lot of promoters that will want to land the 31-year-old Cuban.
Fans poll results: Rigondeaux chosen as #1 choice to fight Donaire next
By Chris Williams: Based on a poll conducted at RingTV asking which fighter boxing fans want to see face IBF/WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire next, WBA World super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux was selected by the fans as the #1 guy they want Donaire to fight next.
Donaire wants Nishioka next, then will likely move up to 126 without facing Rigondeaux
By Chris Williams: After winning an unimpressive 12 round unanimous decision victory over IBF super bantamweight champion Jeffrey Mathebula (26-4-2, 14 KO’s) last night at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California, WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire (29-1, 18 KO’s) said he’ll likely go after one more belt at 122 against WBC Emeritus super bantamweight champion Toshiaki Nishioka (39-4, 24 KO’s) and then move up to the featherweight division to campaign at 126 lbs.
Donaire: I could fight Rigondeaux or Mares next
By Chris Williams: WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire says he could wind up facing either WBC super bantamweight champ Abner Mares next or WBA champion Guillermo Rigondeaux next depending on what his manager Cameron Dunkin wants for him. Donaire will be fighting IBF super bantamweight champion Jeffrey Mathebula on Saturday in a unification bout in Carson, California.
Donaire interested in fighting Rigondeaux if it involves a tournament
By Chris Williams: Trying to get WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire (28-1,m 18 KO’s) to fight WBA World super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux (10-0, 8 KO’s) has been like trying to get someone to go to the dentist to have a tooth pulled. Donaire has been less than eager and that’s putting it mildly.
Mares: Donaire doesn’t want to fight Rigondeaux; I’ll fight him
By Chris Williams: With WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire making every excuse under the sun for not stepping it up a couple levels and facing WBA super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux (10-0, 8 KO’s), the WBC 122 pound champion Abner Mares says he thinks Donaire is afraid to fight Rigondeaux and that he’ll fight him if Donaire is afraid to.
Donaire has to look good against Mathebula if he wants to stay ahead of Rigondeaux in popularity
By Chris Williams: I don’t know if WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire (28-1, 18 kO’s) has been taking any notice, but WBA World super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux (10-0, 8 KO’s) is quickly turning into a star in the United States after only 10 fights.