Arum sets Donaire title crack

MANILA, Philippines - Top Rank chairman Bob Arum has set an appointment for Nonito Donaire Jr. to challenge IBF superbantamweight champion Takalani Ndlovu on Feb. 11 and a win will make the Flash only the second Filipino – after Manny Pacquiao – to capture at least three world titles in different divisions.

Donaire, who turned 29 last Wednesday, said he’s awaiting confirmation of the fight from his manager Cameron Dunkin.  While nothing is etched in stone, Donaire said he plans to be ready for action as early as January.  He arrived in Manila a week after outpointing Argentina’s Omar Narvaez to retain his WBC/WBO bantamweight titles in New York City last Oct. 22 and leaves for the US on Thursday to resume training.

For the record, Donaire has won the IBF/IBO flyweight and WBC/WBO bantamweight championships.  He also held the interim WBA superflyweight diadem but it’s not considered a “regular” world title.  Donaire said he’s moving up in weight.

Ndlovu, 33, has a 33-6 record, with 18 KOs, compared to Donaire’s 27-1, with 18 KOs.  The 5-8 South African, known as “The Panther,” is no stranger to fighting away from home.  He has figured in four bouts in the US, losing only once on a split decision to Fernando Beltran Jr., once in England, once in Canada and once in Mexico.  His record on the road is 5-2.  Ndlovu is coming off a win over Giovanni Cano via a split 12-round decision in Mexico last Oct. 29.

Arum told The STAR he’s pitting Donaire against Ndlovu at a still undetermined site with WBO superbantamweight titleholder Jorge Arce of Mexico in the undercard.   If Donaire and Arce win, Arum said he’ll match them in a unification showdown at the new Mall of Asia stadium, possibly in May.

To make Donaire’s next fight more interesting, Top Rank president Todd duBoef is putting up a $100,000 bonus on top of the guaranteed purse if his opponent wins.  That’s to make sure Donaire’s opponent won’t just try to survive and steal a paycheck – like Narvaez did.  Narvaez didn’t win a single round in the three judges’ scorecards as Donaire pitched a shutout in their dull contest.

Arum likened Narvaez to Sugar Shane Mosley who also ran scared in going the distance with Pacquiao last May.  “Does it reflect poorly on Manny that Mosley did not want to fight him?” asked Arum, quoted by Jack Hirsch in Boxing News.  “It should not reflect poorly on Nonito either.”  Arum said he intends to stage four Donaire fights next year.

An option for Donaire to challenge WBC 122-pound champion Toshiaki Noshioka was scuttled when the Japanese said he won’t be ready to fight until the summer.  Donaire isn’t waiting that long to stay busy.

Ndlovu, a former IBO superbantamweight and WBF featherweight champion, won’t be Donaire’s first South African opponent.  In 2008, he halted Moruti Mthalane in the sixth round in Las Vegas.  That same year, Ndlovu stopped his first and only Filipino victim so far, Raymond Sermona of Negros Occidental, in the fourth round in Gauteng.

Ndlovu’s promoter Branco Milenkovic said fighting outside of South Africa doesn’t faze the veteran.  “It’s always a great test for a boxer’s mettle when he fights outside his own country and we remain confident,” he said.

DuBoef said he thought of the $100,000 incentive after Narvaez bored the fans who booed his cowardly effort against Donaire.  “I did discuss it with Donaire’s manager who said he and Nonito support it because they were equally frustrated (by Narvaez),” he noted.  “The Donaire-Top Rank relationship is closer than ever and totally aligned.”

Arum said if things work out, the Donaire-Arce fight could be the second Thrilla In Manila.  Arce, a grizzled Mexican warrior, doesn’t back down from anyone and his come-forward style makes for an exciting battle against Donaire.

  Arce, 32, has a 58-6-2 record, with 45 KOs, and is fresh from a fourth round stoppage of South Africa’s Simphiwe Nongqayi to keep his WBO crown.  He has never lost to a Filipino and counts as his victims Fernando Lumacad (KO3), Juanito Rubillar (twice on points), Joma Gamboa (KO2), Carmelo Caceres (KO2) and Jovan Presbitero (KO2).