MANILA, PHILIPPINES
There is still no statement from Premier Boxing Champions, promoter of the first showdown between the reigning Filipino champions
Nonito Donaire and his wife, Rachel, claimed they have canceled his historic unification fight with compatriot Johnriel Casimero on August 14 in Carson, California.
Team Casimero insisted the fight staking Donaire’s World Boxing Council bantamweight crown and Casimero’s World Boxing Organization belt was still on.
Whoever will be proven right will be known in the coming days as Premier Boxing Champions, which promotes the first showdown between reigning Filipino titlists, has yet to issue an official statement on the pay-per-view bout’s status.
The Donaires appeared on Instagram live on Tuesday, refuting claims of the Casimero camp about alleged past incidents wherein Nonito did not want to speak with Casimero in Tagalog and also snubbed Casimero’s request to spar with him.
Donaire also denounced Team Casimero for disrespecting his family, especially his wife, and demanded a public apology.
Rachel Donaire, now Nonito’s trainer and manager, said she called off the fight before the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency tweeted on Sunday morning, June 27, that both fighters have enrolled for testing.
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman validated the statement in a separate tweet hours later.
Casimero was supposed to tangle with Guillermo Rigondeaux on August 14 but agreed to step aside in favor of Donaire, who came into the picture after a third-round knockout over the then-unbeaten French champion Nordine Oubaali on May 29.
The winner between Donaire and Casimero would most likely be pitted against Naoya Inoue to determine the undisputed king of the 118-pound division. – Rappler.com
