Donaire a free agent?

There’s talk along cauliflower row that former WBA featherweight, WBA/WBO superbantamweight, WBC/WBO bantamweight, interim WBA superflyweight and IBF/IBO flyweight champion Nonito Donaire Jr. is now allegedly a free agent. Neither Donaire nor his wife Rachel has confirmed or denied the news.

If Donaire has left Top Rank, it could be because he wasn’t backed up by Bob Arum’s group in holding WBO superbantamweight titlist Jessie Magdaleno to his promise of giving the Filipino Flash an immediate rematch. Magdaleno wrested the WBO crown from Donaire on a unanimous 12-round decision in Las Vegas last November and during the medical check-ups in the dressing room after the fight, promised an immediate rematch to repay the former champion for the title shot.

Magdaleno later had a change of heart and is now singing a different tune. He recently said he doesn’t owe Donaire anything because he was after all, the mandatory challenger and next in line for a crack at the crown. Magdaleno said Donaire has to first prove himself worthy of a rematch. Instead of working out an agreement with Donaire, Magdaleno announced he’ll stake his belt against No. 12 contender Adeilson Dos Santos of Brazil at the StubHub Center in Carson City on April 22. The speculation is Magdaleno isn’t ready to risk losing the title back to Donaire.

Dos Santos, 25, isn’t even rated in the WBO top 10 and has an 18-2 record, with 14 KOs. He has fought almost exclusively in Brazil except for a loss in Sheffield, England, to Kid Galahad on points in 2014 and a win over Marcos Martinez in Argentina the year before. His last two fights were knockout wins over victims with a combined record of 21 losses. Obviously, Magdaleno has chosen an easy opponent and avoided a dangerous clash with Donaire. Magdaleno’s promoter is, of course, Top Rank.

Breaking loose from Top Rank may be the best thing for Donaire. He could hook up with Al Haymon, a Harvard MBA graduate who has been named Manager of the Year twice by the Boxing Writers Association of America. Haymon has links to two fighters who could be future opponents for Donaire – former WBA featherweight and IBF/WBA superbantamweight champion Carl Frampton of Belfast and WBA featherweight titleholder Abner Mares of Mexico.

Donaire could also connect with Oscar de la Hoya and Golden Boy, former Golden Boy CEO and now Ringstar Sports CEO Richard Schaefer or Floyd Mayweather, Jr. He has friendly relations with the major boxing impresarios and Donaire is still a highly marketable commodity. Donaire is ranked No. 2 by the WBO. 

Donaire could even go the way of former IBF/WBC lightflyweight and WBO/WBA flyweight champion Brian Viloria who recently signed up with Akihiko Honda’s Teiken Promotions of Japan. Donaire is extremely popular in Japan and has often appeared as a guest on Japanese TV boxing shows. A link-up with Honda could lead to a shot at the IBF superbantamweight title now held by Yukinori Oguni who has a 19-1-1 record, with 7 KOs.

The road is wide open for Donaire who’s reportedly training in Las Vegas and walking around at 128 to 130 pounds. A juicy possibility is to battle Cuba’s Guilllermo Rigondeaux, now the super WBA superbantamweight champion, in a much-awaited grudge rematch. They fought in April 2013 and Rigondeaux survived a knockdown to outpoint Donaire. Rigondeaux, 36, is unbeaten with a 17-0 record, including 11 KOs, and is coming off a second round retirement of James Dickens in Cardiff last July.

Other options are Frampton, Mares, former WBA superbantamweight champion Scott Quigg of the UK and super WBA featherweight ruler Leo Santa Cruz of Mexico. Frampton, 30, has a 23-1 record, with 14 KOs and his only loss was to Santa Cruz on a majority decision. Santa Cruz, 28, has a 33-1-1 record, with 18 KOs, and his only loss was to Frampton, also on a majority decision. Quigg, 28, has a 32-1-2 record, with 24 KOs, and his only loss was a split verdict to Frampton. Mares, 31, has a 30-2-1 record with 15 KOs, and his only losses were to Santa Cruz on a majority decision and Jhonny Gonzalez on a stoppage. There is also Oguni, 28, who decisioned the Dominican Republic’s Jonathan Guzman for the IBF crown.       

With or without Top Rank, the 34-year-old Donaire remains a quality fighter. He has a record of 37-4, with 24 KOs.