Bob Arum: ‘Donaire Will Fight Either in March in Manila or May in Macau’

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    ffe2922cd6ab964a318863b4c3e4b10fNonito Donaire will attempt to come back strong after suffering a tough TKO loss to Nicholas Walters in October of 2014. Top Rank will need to be careful in their matchmaking selection as Donaire attempts to revive a career that once saw him as a top five pound for pound fighter. The Filipino fighter still has a fan friendly style and a tremendous skillset that combines speed and power, but his dramatic downfall suggests a more permanent decline. If Donaire hopes to rectify his recent disappointments he’ll need to prove he can beat a top opponent, but before that he’ll have to get in the win column by managing a sound victory free of flaws.

    Bob Arum plans on showcasing Donaire abroad, but the plans remain uncertain as Arum awaits certain deals to pan out.

    “The first possibility, I was contacted by a network in the Philippines, ABS-CBN, was that he would fight in March in Manila. If that’s not going to happen then the backup plan is he could go in Macau in May,” Arum told Thaboxingvoice.com’s Joe Habeeb.

    Arum would’ve considered a March date in Macau if Manila fell through for Donaire, but the March date in Macau has been filled with Zou Shiming challenging for his first world title against Amnat Ruenroeng.

    It would be a significant event if Donaire ended up headlining a card in Manila, but he is extremely popular in Macau and Top Rank is planning a May card there, which they’ve yet to start planning.

    With no opponent planned, Top Rank has some leeway in planning Donaire’s next fight with the luxury of a couple months between potential dates. But the one certainty is Donaire will be fighting in either month depending on which location can be secured first.

    “[Donaire will fight] either March in Manila or in May in Macau,” Arum concluded.