For a while, it looked like Nonito Donaire Jr?s career will hang in the balance.
He was supposed to fight a unification bout against Anselmo Moreno on May 28. Nonito captured the World Boxing Organization (WBO) and the World Boxing Council (WBC) bantamweight crown by knocking out former champion Fernando Montiel in the second round in February.
Moreno holds the World Boxing Association (WBA) version of the boxing crown.
Then under contract with Top Rank, Donaire however signed a promotional contract with rival Golden Boy Promotions citing breach on the part of Top Rank?s Bob Arum.
Arum and Top Rank went for arbitration, in retaliation. The case is yet to be decided by the arbitration judge.
On Thursday Arum says Top Rank honcho Todd Dubeof is meeting with Donaire to discuss the contract impasse between the promotional company and the Filipino boxer ? a move that may be interpreted as softening on the part of Bob Arum.
Donaire is one of the most exciting top pound for pound boxers today. He is ranked fourth in the pound for pound list in the most boxing websites and is arguably the best in his division.
With the shock loss of Juan Manuel Lopez who could become an opponent for Donaire down the road, Top Rank also lost one of its promising marquee fighters.
Getting back Donaire to its fold is a logical move on the part of Top Rank.
Although Bob Arum owns the promotional rights of Manny Pacquiao, boxing?s biggest name and cash cow, the Filipino fighter is four or five fights away from retirement.
A reconciliation between Arum and Donaire could work to the best interest of both parties.
It will keep Donaire away from acrimonious litigation and re-invigorate his career that, until he KO?d Montiel, looked headed nowhere after a sensational knockout of Vic Darchinyan four years ago.
Donaire needs to be active and has to fight as often as the opportunity presents. He cannot allow himself to be frozen in inactivity because of legal issues between two rival promotional outfits.
If Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions could make the third Pacquiao-Marquez fight, there is no reason why they could not work out their dispute over Donaire.
Golden Boy must also deal with the possibility of losing both Juan Manuel Marquez and Donaire altogether if it cannot find the middle ground that is to the interest of both boxers. In the same manner that Top Rank cannot afford to be left out in the lottery.
As old as Marquez is now, he can still pull in a few dollars more for Oscar de la Hoya. As promising as Donaire maybe, his inactivity would also be a loss to whoever wanted him under his umbrella.
Golden Boy will certainly agree not to match the offer of Top Rank to Marquez to fight Pacquiao. Not only because it will be a financial suicide. It can also leverage its non interference by making sure Marquez returns to Golden Boy Promotion ? win or loss ? after the Pacquiao fight.
In return, Golden Boy could agree to release Donaire from whatever legal obligation or strike a deal similar to what it got when it signed Pacquiao not too long ago.
Whatever it is, Donaire only has the Lopez defeat to Orlando Salido to thank for.
It opened several windows of opportunity for him to resume his boxing career.
It may also be his stroke of luck.
