MASAM SPORTS 17: NONITO DONAIRE VS. NAOYA INOUE REMATCH IN APRIL NOW UNDER NEGOTIATIONS
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 19 Jan 2022
The bantamweight unification bout between WBA, IBF and The Ring champion Naoya Inoue and WBC title holder Nonito Donaire has now ongoing negotiations to happen April in Japan, Donaire promoter and Probellum CEO Richard Schaefer reported to Boxing Scene.
Schaefer revealed that he is presently discussing with Inoue's promoter Akihiko Honda of Teiken Promotions to make the rematch this spring. Inoue is co-promoted by Top Rank and is under contract by Bob Arum's outfit right after the Donaire tussle.
“This is definitely a fight we would love to do and Nonito would love to have it as well. We don’t have a problem going to Japan. Donaire has the balls to go into the lion's den again. This is one of the biggest fights you can make in the sport,” disclosed Schaefer.
Schaefer said he can’t speak on behalf of Inoue, but he knows that this is the fight the Japanese wants also. He added that he is going to "exhaust every resource and will not leave any stone unturned" to realize this rematch. This is what Donaire and the fight fans want to happen. The Swiss promoter believes they will get it done.
Inoue (22-0, 19 KOs) and Donaire (42-6, 28 KOs) clashed on November 7, 2019 at the Super Arena in Saitama, Japan in the World Boxing Super Series bantamweight finals, as Inoue has the hometown advantage and scored a well-fought unanimous decision win with the scores of 116-111, 114-113 and 117-109.
Donaire suffered a knockdown in the exciting fight, and Inoue fought with a broken right eye socket in the brutal tussle which was adjudged as Fight of the Year 2019 by the Boxing Writers Association of America.
Inoue says he was seeing double from the second round and by the fifth round he was fighting mainly on his instincts and gallantry. The hard punch fractured his right orbital bone. He also suffered a broken nose during the fight. He was carried on a stretcher after the bout and looked more injured than Donaire, the loser. Because of his exceptional performance, Donaire announced that he wanted a rematch.
“Both guys have only gotten bigger since that fight, and probably even better, which is interesting to say especially in regard to Nonito,” said Schaefer.
The 39-year-old “The Filipino Flash” Donaire won the WBC title and became the oldest world bantamweight champion by his KO victory over Frenchman Nordine Oubaali at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California on May 29. He defended his title on December 11 by stopping Reymart Gaballo in the fourth round at the same venue.
Three days after Donaire's victory over Gaballo, on December 14, “The Monster” Inoue easily disposed Thai challenger Aran Dipaen in Japan and via an eighth round TKO.
Before that, Inoue has proven his mettle as a top ten pound-for-pound fighter by knocking out Jason Moloney in the seventh round on October 31, 2020 at MGM Grand Conference Center, Las Vegas and Michael Dasmarinas on June 19, 2021 in the third round at the Virgin Hotel in Las Vegas.
Schaeffer said Donaire could also consider fighting with WBO and WBC super bantamweight champion Stephen Fulton (20-0, 8 KOs) if in case the Inoue fight won't push through.
Another alternative would be for Donaire to finally face WBO bantamweight champion John Riel Casimero. Their All-Filipino unification fight did not happen after some controversies resulting from VADA testing.
There are issues of concern on the venue of the proposed Inoue-Donaire unification bout where there are strict Covid-19 restrictions in Japan. These caused the postponement of the middleweight unification bout between Gennady Golovkin and Ryota Murata in Japan supposedly scheduled in December.
There is a great possibility that Inoue will fight again in the United States, where he has already fought three times, twice in Las Vegas and once in Carson, California.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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