Nonito Donaire: I’m willing to fight Mares

Photo by AP

World bantamweight champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire Jr. says he has no problem in case Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions come to terms for a unification title fight with Abner Mares.

Donaire, the reigning WBC/WBO holder, made this assurance to the Inquirer after Mares won a controversial majority decision over IBF champion Joseph Agbeko at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas last Saturday.

“If they want to make it happen I’m always ready to fight him. I don’t mind whoever they put in front of me. If they want to get Mares, I don’t mind,” said Donaire.

Referee Russel Mora failed to deduct a single point from Mares for several low blows and erroneously credited Mares with an 11th round knockdown when he caught Agbeko with a clear low blow.

Mora insisted that the knockdown, which eventually decided the match, was a correct call even when the slo-mo TV replay showed Mora was wrong.

Showtime commentator Al Bernstein had called Mora’s performance in the ring “the most disgraceful performance of a referee that I have seen in the past 15 years.”

“A horrible referee,” Donaire said of Mora, who refereed his fight against Fernando Montiel and allowed the Mexican to continue after he was dropped and was in no condition to go on.

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said Donaire would gladly fight the Golden Boy-promoted Mares but said Agbeko should be given a rematch before anything else.

Asked whether he was concerned with Mares’ penchant to land low blows, Donaire replied: “I don’t think he can because he won’t be able to catch me.”

Donaire said there was some confusion over the date of his next fight which was originally set for Oct. 22, then Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said it had been moved to Nov. 5 which is six days before Donaire’s church wedding to Rachel Marcial and then again moved to the original fight date.

Donaire said if the fight is on Oct. 22 he would leave for training camp at the Undisputed Gym next week.

“Whatever it is I want to start my 10 weeks of training next week if it’s Oct. 22 but if its Nov. 5 then I’ll have a few extra weeks getting in shape,” he said.

A replay of the Mares-Agbeko fight will be on AKTV IBC Channel 13 on Sunday, August 21 at 7 p.m.