MANILA, Philippines ? Nonito Donaire?s much-awaited ring return might take place in his adopted home of San Francisco, California, sometime in May, according to reports coming out of Las Vegas.
Top Rank chief Bob Arum is eyeing Panamanian Anselmo Moreno, the current World Boxing Association bantamweight champion, as a possible foe for Donaire, who holds the World Boxing Council and World Boxing Organization version of the 118-lb title.
Donaire?s fight will be the second most important match among Filipino fans since pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao battles Shane Mosley on May 7.
Arum is also the fight promoter of Pacquiao.
Donaire, who migrated to the US at age ten years, has expressed thrill over the prospects of showing his wares before his fans and followers in the Bay Area.
Donaire hardly worked out a sweat in his last fight, a vicious second-round knockout of Fernando Montiel of Mexico, last week at the MGM Grand.
Arum said a world of opportunities opened up for Donaire following his scintillating win over Montiel that the Hall of Fame promoter didn?t mince words in saying the 28-year-old Filipino-American can follow the footsteps of Manny Pacquiao.
The closest Donaire came into strutting his stuff in the Bay Area was early in his career when he fought twice in the sleepy town of Vallejo, on the outskirts of San Francisco.
The past four years, Donaire has seen action mostly in Nevada and he is looking forward to making a smashing return to San Francisco under the promotional banner of Top Rank.
If Top Rank can?t get hold of Moreno, who is said to be being courted by Golden Boy Promotions, there are still a lot of attractive foes out there.
