Boxer Nonito “Filipino Flash” Donaire, the WBO junior featherweight champion and 2012 Fighter of the Year,smiles during a news conference in New York, Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013, announcing his championship unification bout against Guillermo “El Chacal” Rigondeaux, of Cuba, the undefeated WBA super bantamweight champion (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
As expected, Nonito Donaire Jr. came out an overwhelming odds-on favorite as betting lines opened for his world super bantamweight fight against Cuban Guillermo Rigondeaux on April 13 at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
Sports betting site oddschecker.com listed the 30-year-old consensus Fighter of the Year for 2012 as a 10-1 favorite in the fight where he stakes his WBO belt and go for Rigondeaux’s WBA version of it. That means a $100 bet on Donaire (31-1-0 with 20 knockouts) wins just $10.
It also listed Rigondeaux (11-0-0 with eight KOs) a 2-1 underdog, which means a $100 bet on the 32-year-old two-time Olympic gold medalists wins $200.
Lines and odds are expected to change as fight night draws nearer. The rivalry has started simmering online, marked by lengthy accusations between the two camps mainly on the issue of performance-enhancing drugs.
Rigondeaux, who boasts more than 400 fights in the amateur ranks but is largely untested in the pro level, was seen getting blood extractions from pictures posted by his handler Caribe Promotions’ Twitter account.
Caribe CEO Boris Arencibia, whose outfit co-promotes the fight with Top Rank, also issued a statement denying that they have any links with Angel Heredia, whose alleged involvement with PEDs put a question on Juan Manuel Marquez’s muscle mass and strength.
In an article that came out in boxingscene.com, Arencibia said Rigondeaux will instead keep himself busy training in Boca Raton and Delray Beach in Florida until April 7.
Donaire, meanwhile, plunged into training with Robert Garcia, who earlier said his ward will be “too big, too strong and should have no problem” dealing with Rigondeaux.