The big money fights against Jorge Arce and Fernando Montiel will wait until next year as IBF flyweight champion Nonito Donaire Jr. said yesterday he is ready to defend his title twice before moving up to the 115-pound division.
Donaire said manager Cameron Dunkin is close to finalizing negotiations with Top Rank for a defense against mandatory challenger Moruti Mthalane of South Africa on Sept. 13, tentatively in Las Vegas, and another defense in November.
?Top Rank?s idea is to build up more interest for a showdown against Arce or Montiel or both next year,? said Donaire. ?I?ll fight whomever they put in front of me in the ring. I?m ready to go.?
But first, Donaire will tie the knot with taekwondo champion Rachel Marcial in a private beach wedding in Carmel, California, on Aug. 8.
Donaire guaranteed he?ll be in shape for Mthalane who earned the title crack by outpointing Australia?s Hussein Hussein in East Cape, South Africa, a few weeks ago.
?We?re postponing our honeymoon so I can focus on training for Mthalane,? said Donaire. ?I?m eager to prove myself all over again, even if I?m the defending champion. I want to show Top Rank I?m worth the investment.?
Top Rank recently inked Donaire to a three-year contract with an option to extend for another year. The contract stipulates at least three fights a year with a minimum purse of $250,000. A five-figure signing bonus sweetened the deal.
?All my fights with Top Rank will be for title fights,? said Donaire. ?The plan is to make two title defenses then move up to take on Montiel for the superflyweight championship.?
Mthalane turned pro in 2000 and has compiled a 22-1 record, with 15 KOs. He has won his last nine outings, including a first round disposal of Filipino Apol Suico. His only loss was an 11th round knockout to Nkqubela Gwazela for the South African flyweight crown. Mthalane was in total control of the bout when Gwazela scored the late stoppage.
Donaire hasn?t fought since halting challenger Luis Maldonado in the eighth round in Connecticut last December. His record is 19-1, with 12 KOs.
Donaire said he watched his brother Glenn?s title fight against IBF lightflyweight champion Ulises Solis in Sonora, Mexico, last week with Montiel and Arce at ringside.
?We talked about fighting in the future and they assured me they won?t duck me,? said Donaire. ?They?re great fighters. I told them it would be my honor to fight them.?
Another Mexican fighter, former world champion Jose Luis Castillo, was at ringside with Donaire who had no excuses for his brother?s defeat.
?Castillo, Arce and Montiel thought it was closer than what the scorecards indicated but Glenn clearly lost,? said Donaire. ?He just froze in the ring. He wasn?t scared of Solis who, I think, isn?t a great champion and can be beaten. I can?t understand what happened. Maybe, it was the long layoff. Mentally, Glenn wasn?t in the fight. Solis outboxed him from a distance. Glenn never got the chance to tee off. He didn?t throw enough punches.?
Donaire said he sparred with his brother in training for Solis and didn?t expect the loss.
?Glenn looked fine in training,? said Donaire. ?He showed a lot of power, good defense and nice footwork in the gym. He was prepared for Solis. He told our dad (trainer Nonito Sr.) he was fighting for his wife and two kids, his countrymen, his fans and his future. But in the fight, he couldn?t adjust. He didn?t execute the fight plan.?
Donaire said his brother will recover.
?It?s back to the drawing boards,? said Donaire. ?But Glenn will be back. I know he?s better than Solis. We?ll try to match him against WBC lightflyweight champion Edgar Sosa or get a return fight with Solis. What?s sure is Glenn will be a lot more active from now on.?
Solis won via a shutout with scores of 120-108 from Joe Garcia and Dr. Ruben Garcia and 120-107 from Alfredo Polanco. Ring announcer Jimmy Lennon read scores of 120-118, 120-118 and 120-117 by mistake because that meant at least nine rounds were even.
Since referee Pat Russell ordered a point deduction on Solis, the champion couldn?t have scored 120. But the discrepancy was ignored as there was no question who deserved the decision. The loss quashed hopes of the Donaire brothers holding world titles at the same time.
