As reported on Boxingnewsonline.com, Matchroom Sports are looking to bring WBA World super-bantamweight champion Scott Quigg(30-0-2, 22KO’s) a big name in the immediate future, as proceedings have unfortunately ground to a halt for a unification match with IBF champ Carl Frampton(20-0, 14KO’s).
Negotiations for Quigg vs. Frampton have been laborious and painstakingly slow with neither Matchroom nor Frampton’s representatives Cyclone Promotions able to reach an agreement. Eddie Hearn, head of Matchroom, gave his version of events.
“We offered them 60-40 to the winner on a co-promotion and that didn’t work so we offered them a 1.5 million guarantee. Carl Frampton [is] a big part of the fight, but they’re not bringing any revenue. We’re the ones who are providing the revenue via Sky.”
Hearn made a big song and dance when announcing that hefty guarantee for Frampton, a move that looked to force Cyclone to accept an offer so seemingly generous. However, as the fight would undoubtedly be shown via Sky Box Office for what we can assume will be around £17.00. The revenue generated from the event will far exceed that which is reflected in Frampton’s proposed cut. That may seem underhanded but as Hearn has become fond of telling us, his company is the one bankrolling the event so why shouldn’t their man receive the lion’s share of the purse?
So, with the reasonable assumption that the Frampton fight may have to be put on hold, Hearn has been looking for an alternative that will make the world stand up and take notice.
“I really like the Nonito Donaire fight for Scott Quigg. I’d love to make that fight.”
“We’d like him on July 18 at the [Phones 4 U Arena], it’s expensive but I just love the fight. I like the Kiko Martinez fight. But I think Donaire makes a real statement. Scott will be fighting on July 18 in Manchester.”
Donaire(34-3, 22KO’s) is a former four-weight world champion and was the Boxing Writers Association of America’s fighter of the year for 2012 for the spectacular form he showed over those twelve months. Unfortunately for him, he began 2013 by facing Guillermo Rigondeaux and was clearly outclassed by the phenomenal Cuban talent across from him. He managed to knock Rigo down in the tenth but still lost a unanimous decision verdict.
Since then he has ventured four pounds north to the featherweight division and not looked at his best. He managed to pull off a ninth round KO in a ten rounder against a man he had already beaten in Vic Darchinyan, a fight he was arguably losing up to that point. He followed that up with an unconvincing technical decision against Simpiwe Vetyeka, winning on points after five rounds because a cut he sustained over his eye was deemed severe enough to stop the contest. That win elevated him to WBA Super Champion status and qualified him for a run-in with Jamaica’s ‘Ax-Man’ Nicolas Walters. Walters absorbed every blow from Donaire’s famed fists with no discernible effect and used his own power and size to bludgeon the Filipino into submission in the sixth round.
Donor bounced back with a sixth round win of his own against William Prado in March but overall it looks as if he has slipped from the dizzying heights he was soaring at just a few years ago. Quigg is a young, efficient, powerful fighter who needs a name like Donaire on his resume to legitimize him, despite the fact he is already a world champion. Circumstances may well be in his favor if he meets Donaire some time soon, and that fight will offer some consolation in the absence of Frampton.
