LAS VEGAS — Flyweight titleholder Nonito Donaire, who split with promoter Gary Shaw earlier this month claiming he didn’t deliver the number of fights he was owed under their contract, signed Thursday with Bob Arum’s Top Rank.
“This is a new adventure for me,” Donaire, flanked by his father, fianc?e and manager Cameron Dunkin, said at a news conference at Mandalay Bay. “I’m not backing out on whoever Mr. Arum or Cameron put in front of me. I’m excited and really happy. I want to fight the best. Bring ’em on.”
The three-year deal, with a Top Rank option for a fourth year, guarantees Donaire a minimum of three bouts per year. Donaire also received an undisclosed signing bonus.
“He’s somebody we have great hopes for,” Arum said.
Arum said Donaire’s first fight for Top Rank would probably come in August followed by a bigger fight in October, possibly in Macau, the Chinese gambling resort territory where Arum wants stage a championship tripleheader this fall.
Arum promotes at least two serious potential opponents for Donaire, junior bantamweight titleholder Fernando Montiel and contender Jorge Arce. Arum said he’d like to make those fights.
Donaire (19-0, 12 KOs), who is from the Philippines but lives in California, won a 112-pound world title with a sensational fifth-round knockout of heavily favored Vic Darchinyan on July 7, 2007. But the 25-year-old has fought just once since, stopping Luis Maldonado in the eighth round on Dec. 1.
Donaire was upset with Shaw for not keeping him busy and then for making arrangements to put him on an Aug. 2 Showtime card headlined by Darchinyan’s junior bantamweight title challenge against Dimitri Kirilov. Donaire was unhappy about fighting on the undercard of a fighter he had knocked out.
The pairing of Top Rank and Donaire doesn’t come as a surprise.
“He’s a good champion and a very personable kid,” Arum said. “No brainer to sign him.”
Donaire is managed by Dunkin, who has almost all of his fighters signed with Top Rank. Also, Top Rank has been expanding its ties with fighters from the Philippines. It already promotes Manny Pacquiao, the Philippines national hero, and rising junior featherweight contender Bernabe Concepcion.
Top Rank also has matched Glenn Donaire, Nonito’s older brother, in a July 12 fight against junior flyweight titleholder Ulises Solis.
Donaire, who idolizes Pacquiao, has aspirations to win titles in multiple divisions like Pacquiao has done. He said he’d like to unify flyweight titles and challenge for championships all the way to junior lightweight (112 pounds up to 130).
“That’s the fighter that I am. I want to give it all I can like Pacquiao,” Donaire said. “He inspired me like everyone else in the Philippines.”
Dan Rafael is ESPN.com’s boxing writer.
