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Philippines, 01 Sep 2025 |
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DONAIRE-OUBAALI, WBC'S COUNTER MOVE TO NAOYA INOUE'S US TOP RANK DEBUT By Teodoro Medina Reynoso PhilBoxing.com Fri, 31 Jan 2020  L-R: Roy Jones Jr, Oubaali and Donaire. Under the Sulaimans, the World Boxing Council has been known, at times notoriously, for strategic maneuvering---astute wheeling and dealing as it is oftentimes euphemistically called in the business world--that has kept it always in the big picture and by and large allowed it to maintain a key leading role in international boxing. This, the organization once again deftly demonstrated in securing a world title fight ---with the assistance of a major American boxing promotional firm--- that would rival the impending US debut of Japan's legendary Naoya Inoue this spring, keep its champion in the conversation and itself in circulation. The WBC presided over recently a purse bid hearing in its Mexico City headquarters involving the much awaited title defense of French WBC world bantamweight champion Nordine Oubaali against the equally legendary Filipino former multi division world titleholder Nonito Donaire. The bidding was won by Tom Brown of TGB Promotion which assures that the fight will bè held in the USA and carried by a major network, albeit the unexpected low winning bid. But the TGB, being a close partner of Al Haymon and Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s Premier Boxing Championship, there is a big chance that the Donaire-Oubaali bout will land in a major PBC promotional event to be aired on Fox and/or Showtime as a counter move to Inoue's US debut under Arum's Top Rank and ESPN. Fresh from his sweep of the high profile World Boxing Super Series event with a memorable victory over Donaire in the finals which was followed almost worldwide, Inoue was posthaste signed by Bob Arum, owner of the Top Rank Promotions. Inoue presently holds the WBA and IBF titles as well as the Ring Magazine lineal championship. Arum said he will move as soon as possible to introduce the unbeaten dynamo to American fight fans by April possibly in a prestigious unification bout versus Filipino WBO titlist Johnriel Casimero. However that is incumbent upon Inoue fully healing and recovering from the injuries he incurred against Donaire. The WBC was not able to join the WBSS bantamweight tournament won by Inoue as it had to declare its division title vacant following the stripping and suspension of its previous titlist Luis Nery for failing to meet the weight limit in his two previous fights versus Shinsuke Yamanaka between 2017 and 2018. Oubaali won the vacant title in January 2019 by which time, the WBSS tournament was already in full swing. He has successfully defended it twice, the last in Japan against Naoya's younger brother Takuma in the undercard of the WBSS finals. Nery was supposed to fight Emmanuel Rodriguez in an eliminator for the opportunity to regain his title but that was scrapped when the Mexican bruiser failed yet again to meet the 118 lbs. limit. 
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman shows the Green and Gold WBC belt. In Donaire, however who once reigned as WBC bantamweight super champion, among his other world titles, the WBC has another fighter that could very well match Inoue in terms of popularity and boxing abilities, assuming the Filipino Flash prevails over the French Moroccan defending titlist. The WBC has in fact conferred its diamond belt twice to Donaire in recognition of his feats at bantamweight and super bantamweight divisions. It has also previously conferred its diamond belt to Manny Pacquiao after his defeat of Miguel Cotto for the WBO welterweight championship back in 2009. The WBC will also not lose anything in the event of an Oubaali victory. Undoubtedly, WBC has found its top card to play in the current high stakes bantamweight division in the Donaire-Oubaali setto notwithstanding how little it would gain in term of sanction fee. That's how it also started in its long term gamble with Deontay Wilder in the heavyweight sweepstakes and look at the stature of the famed Bronze Bomber for some time now. If you have always a card to play, you always have a chance to win. 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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