Donaire back with Top Rank

After some months of dispute and exchanges of hurting words between WBC and WBO world bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire Jr and Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, the two have finally settled their differences and are ready to move on.
“We have reached a new respect for each other and are moving forward together. There were a lot of things that have been said that put a strain on the relationship, but both parties have agreed to open the lines of communication and wipe the slate clean,” said Donaire, who has inked a new contract with Top Rank.
However, the Filipino Flash refuses to reveal the terms and conditions of the contract.
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According to Donaire, both he and Top Rank Promotions have agreed to forego arbitration “and are forging ahead to work together.
“I’m excited to move on, ” said the Filipino-American boxer whose last fight was in February of this year against Mexican Fernando Montiel.
He has been inactive since.
Donaire said it was his wife Rachel who had actually mediated between him and Arum.
“It is unfortunate that she gets the brunt of all blame when things get tough. She is only looking afer my best interest and would do things I ask her to do,” said Donaire.
As writer Dennis Guillermo puts it, all’s well that ends well!
By the way, did Rachel make it to FHM’s 100 sexiest women of 2011? Last year she was No. 85.
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After declaring on national television that he knew nothing about playing an exhibition series here in Manila with fellow NBA stars against Smart Gilas and an NBA selection, Al Panlilio, president of the MVP Sports Foundation, formally announced that the games would push through on July 23 and 24.
The foundation is organizing the event where the Black Mamba, Kobe Bryant, will play the dual role of coach and player.
According to Al, the ticket prices to the two-day event are very reasonable. P5.5 K on the high end, P350 for the bleachers or general admission section. Here’s hoping the scalpers don’t get their hands on the tickets
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While the anger of Talk and Text’s Manny V. Pangilinan and Ricky Vargas over the TNT bump-off in Dubai about two weeks ago has abated after apologies and explanations from the PBA commissioner’s office, Dubai promoter Ramon Pizarras is certainly not off the hook yet.
Commissioner Chito Salud, a lawyer, said they are filing charges against Pizarras and perhaps also Gulf Air which cancelled the booking of the TNT team.
Up to this day, the airline could not explain why only the Talk ‘N Text team was bumped off from the return flight to Manila.
Commissioner Salud, his staff and the board of governors led by chair Rene Pardo graced the birthday celebration of MVP last Friday, July 15 at the Meralco Compound, proof that the members of the PBA family have kissed and made up.
That’s how it is in the PBA, people don’t get angry with each other for long. As I said, it’s a family where sibling rivalry is the order of the day.
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HOOPVINE If you’re wondering why Kobe wore an FEU uniform when he played with the collegiate stars at Araneta last Wednesday, the answer is simple. Sherilyn Co of Ogilvy said it’s because Nike is the official outfitter of the Tamaraws… A colleague who attended MVP’s birthday celebration said Kris Aquino sat beside the celebrator all night long, never leaving his side… “Kris looked very beautiful, very radiant that night,” he said. Was the scribe trying to tell me that this was the effect of being separated from husband James Yap?… The food on the buffet table was almost completely wiped out after the Kobe presscon at the Manila Peninsula, but waiter John Paul Almendral was kind enough to offer us a hot cup of coffee and a cold glass of water for lunch… He really didn’t have to, since the staff was already clearing the entire place, but we must have looked really starved.