MANILA, Philippines – Promoter Bob Arum is hoping that WBC/WBO bantamweight champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire Jr. would return to Top Rank and allow it to work on a title defense.
“We are working on it,” said Arum of efforts to solve the situation that arose when Donaire tried to break away from Top Rank, and signed up with Golden Boy Promotions.
He told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that Top Rank president Todd DuBoef was “talking to his people, and hopefully this will be resolved.”
Donaire’s attempt to leave Top Rank and sign up with Golden Boy was stopped by former judge Daniel Weinstein, who ruled that GBP could not interfere with Donaire’s promotional contract still owned by Top Rank.
Donaire went to court in Las Vegas, alleging that Top Rank was in breach of contract for failing to give him the three fights a year stipulated in their agreement.
However, Arum claimed that due to injuries to his hand following two of his fights, Donaire was required to rest and that the period lost effectively stopped Top Rank from fulfilling the three-fights-per-year deal.
The dispute scuttled a planned unification title fight against WBA champion Anselmo “Chemito” Moreno scheduled for May 28.
Moreno (31-1, 11 KO’s) scored an impressive eighth round TKO over former world champion Lorenzo Parra in Panama City over the weekend.
In a post-fight interview, Moreno indicated that after one more title defense, he would like to face Donaire.
“Let’s hope that my first fight in 2012 will be my unification bout with Nonito Donaire,” Moreno was quoted as saying.