WBC/WBO world bantamweight champion Nonito ?The Filipino Flash? Donaire risks being effectively stripped of his World Boxing Council title should he fail to make a defense by August 19.
WBC president Don Jose Sulaiman informed the Daily Inquirer that the organization?s rules and regulations ?obligate all champions to make a title defense every four months as six months without doing so represent declaring the title vacant.?
Sulaiman noted that since Donaire won the coveted title from Mexican veteran Fernando ?KO-Chulito? Montiel with a sensational 2nd round TKO last February 19 at the Mandalay Bay Resort Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas ?four months and 13 days have gone by; Donaire has held the title since then, but has not made any defense of it.?
The WBC president stated that the World Boxing Council had ?established communication twice? with the WBC Bantamweight world champion regarding his failure to ?put his title on the line? as yet.
He said Donaire was ?being notified in time that he must comply with his obligations as a champion, and so far, we have not received a reply from the Philippine fighter.?
WBO Asia Pacific vice president Leon Panoncillo said the rules of the organization are the same as the WBC and that Donaire would have to defend his title against mandatory challenger Abner Mares who is also No. 1 in the WBC rankings.
However, Panoncillo said that because of Donaire's current contractual situation his manager (Cameron Dunkin) could seek an extension for the mandatory title defense.
Donaire who is ranked No. 3 in the prestigious Ring Magazine's pound-for-pound list behind fellow Filipino Manny Pacquiao and world light middleweight champion Sergio Martinez has been involved in a contractual struggle with Top Rank Promotions. This followed Donaire's signing with Golden Boy Promotions alleging that Top Rank was guilty of a breach of contract for failing to arrange three fights a year as stipulated in their agreement.
However, Arum said that Donaire was under medical suspension for some 300 days after two previous fights and that prevented Top Rank from arranging fights for Donaire.
Arum told the Daily Inquirer that ?unless he (Donaire) comsd back to us we are not in a position to interfere. There has been some talk but so far there has been no significant movements in that direction. I am confident he will come back but right now he hasn?t.?
Comments
Share your thoughts on the above article by Ronnie Nathanielsz.