Oscar De La Hoya’s company, Golden Boy Promotions, announced Wednesday that it has signed unified bantamweight titlist “The Filipino Flash” Nonito Donaire to an “exclusive, multiyear agreement.”
"Nonito Donaire is one of the top boxers in the world today, and we're going to make sure he gets the chance to defend his world titles and stays as active as possible," De La Hoya said in a statement. "The bantamweight division is becoming one of the most competitive and exciting divisions in boxing and we look forward to promoting Nonito in great fights in the coming years."
De La Hoya’s coup strips the enormously talented Donaire (26-1, 18 KOs) from Bob Arum’s Top Rank promotional firm.
"Top Rank has a valid contract and we will enforce our rights," Arum told ESPN.com.
In layman’s terms, Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank will soon find themselves again embroiled in bitter lawsuit.
Donaire, who hasn’t been defeated since he suffered a unanimous decision loss to Rosendo Sanchez in March 2001 in his second professional bout, is also a past IBF and IBO world flyweight champ who is currently rated by Ring Magazine as the No. 4 pound-for-pound boxer in the world.
"I'm honored to be joining so many great fighters and champions on the Golden Boy Promotions team," said Donaire, 28, who had been with Top Rank since 2008. "I'm going to fight my heart out every time I'm in the ring and will give fans the fights they want to see."
“The Filipino Flash” is constantly compared to his fellow Filipino countryman, WBO welterweight titlist Manny Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 KOs).
Pacquiao, the first prizefighter to win 10 world titles in eight different weight divisions, is a three-time Fighter of the Year and one-time Fighter of the Decade.
“It’s a great honor to be compared to Manny Pacquiao,” said Donaire, 28. “I mean the guy has done what no one has ever done before. So for someone to throw a name at you like that, that’s a big compliment. It’s like if you’re starting out in basketball, and someone is calling you the next Michael Jordan. I’m like, ‘thank you.’”
Granted, Donaire is an elite prizefighter, and his rapid fists will likely earn him much future success in the ring.
Plus, “The Filipino Flash” has an eloquence and class about him that will eventually transcend to the mainstream public.
Nevertheless, at this juncture, Donaire is strictly being linked to Pacquiao because they both hail from the Republic of the Philippines.
Despite the inane and premature comparisons to Pacquiao, “The Filipino Flash” is a tremendous pugilist who is not solely a flash in the pan.
De La Hoya’s brilliant maneuver has Golden Boy shining and Arum clinging to the ropes.
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