DONAIRE VS OUBAALI PITS TWO ROAD WARRIORS
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 31 Jan 2020
Donaire (R) and Oubaali in Saitama, Japan.
The result of the purse bid on the much awaited title defense of WBC world bantamweight champion Nordine Oubaali of France against Filipino former multi division titlist Nonito Donaire has assured that the fight will be held in the United States, pitting two proven road warriors.
The purse bid hearing was conducted recently by the WBC in its Mexico City headquarters after the two parties, MTK Global and Ringstar representing Oubaali and Donaire respectively failed to reach an agreement within the specified deadline for negotiations. But it resulted in a winning bid not quite befitting the stature of both Donaire and Oubaali.
Tom Brown of the TGB Promotions won the bidding and the right to hold the fight with a bid of $401,000 over Ringstar Promotion headed by former Golden Boy Promotions Swiss CEO Richard Schaefer who surprisingly did not offer a higher bid.
Notwithstanding the lower than expected winning purse bid, the WBC ruled that ten percent or more than $40,000 would be held in escrow account to be given to the winner as an incentive for the fighters to go all out for victory.
The difference was split between the two fighters under a 60-40 sharing in favor of the defending champion with Oubaali getting more than $200,000 and Donaire, about $150,000.
It will be one of Donaire's lowest purses in years but he has been given a bigger than usual share as the challenger in deference to his being a former long time world champion in various divisions.
His fight purse in his last losing fight versus Naoya Inoue in the World Boxing Super Series bantamweight finals could be his highest but officially, Donaire reportedly earned more than a million dollars in his previous title bouts versus Guillermo Rigondeaux and Jorge Arce and $800,000 against Toshiaki Nishoka some years back. Those were earned when Donaire was still with Bob Arum's Top Rank Promotions.
With TGB winning the right to hold the fight, the United States is most certainly the venue.
Oubaali, a Frenchman of Moroccan descent, last fought in his native soil in 2018 before launching a campaign to win a world championship.
He won the vacant WBC bantamweight title over American former amateur rival Raushee Warren in Las Vegas, USA. He made his first defense beating Filipino challenger Arthur Villanueva in Astana, Kazakhstan in July and defended his title last time against Takuma Inoue in Saitama, Japan as chief support of the Donaire- Naoya main event in November last year.
Now, Oubaali has to face the prospect of fighting for the fourth time and defending his title for the third straight time on foreign soil as his fight with Donaire most likely will be held in the USA.
Born in Talibon, Bohol in the Philippines, Donaire in his storied career as five division world titlist has fought practically everywhere so he has no problem where the bout would eventually takes place. His last four fights saw him in the UK twice, the USA and Japan.
Fil American Donaire has fought in the US as main event attraction in his prime heydays as world titlist for much of the previous decade but it is unlikely now that he is only a title challenger.
With his win over Warren in the US and over Takuma in Japan which was also shown there, Oubaali is already familiar to American fans but his popularity and pulling power may not be enough as a main event offering.
It is therefore likely that the Oubaali-Donaire title bout will be held as companion or chief support of the main event in a near future major TGB promotion or co promotional event with Al Haymon's Premier Boxing Championship which is usually carried by Fox or CBS Showtime.
In any case, expect a slambang, all action affair that two proven ring road warriors can bring.
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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