By Ryan Maquiñana
Norcalboxing.net/BoxingScene.com
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| Rigondeaux (left) and Donaire have not yet formally agreed to fight. (AP) |
Unified junior featherweight world champion Nonito Donaire stated
Tuesday that he has neither signed his contract to fight fellow titleholder
Guillermo Rigondeaux, nor will he attend Thursday’s press conference in New
York City to announce their Apr. 13 bout.
After CSNBayArea.com revealed that Rigondeaux
had not yet agreed to random testing to be administered by the Voluntary
Anti-Doping Association leading up to the fight, Donaire (31-1,
20 KOs) released this statement via social media:
“I want you guys to
hear it from me first. I am NOT going to NYC for the presser this Thursday
[because] Rigo is backing off his agreement to VADA drug testing. Rigo's team
verbally agreed to VADA testing both online and in negotiations. But now that
the contract to start testing is infront of them, they are finding every excuse
not to sign and delay the start of the testing. I have NOT signed my fight
contract yet to fight him so I have no obligation to fight ONLY HIM. It
disappoints me that top fighters these days run from everything that will hold
professional boxing integrity to its highest standard. I will be looking into
other opponents with my manager, Cameron Dunkin immediately."
During negotiations,
Rigondeaux’s manager, Gary Hyde, said that his fighter would have no
problem submitting to random drug testing, especially since it was part of
his Olympic training program. Rigondeaux (11-0, 8 KOs) captured gold medals
for Cuba as an amateur in Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 before moving to Miami,
Fla.
Over a week ago, a
photo surfaced of Rigondeaux signing his contract, which was assumed to
contain all of the details of the agreement, including VADA testing. However, a source within his team informed
BoxingScene.com Tuesday afternoon that there has been a misunderstanding, and
that the fighter will agree to the stipulation after all.
“Donaire is trying to
twist things to get out of the fight and save face,” the source said. “Our position hasn’t changed. We have agreed to the testing but requested a
copy of the agreement in Spanish so Rigondeaux can read and understand what he’s
signing. [What you saw in the picture]
was the fight contract. [VADA testing]
is a separate thing. Rigo just got the
VADA agreement in Spanish this evening.
He’ll sign it and he’s up in a few hours for his flight to New York.”
Ryan
Maquiñana was the boxing producer for NBCOlympics.com during London 2012 and
writes a weekly column for CSNBayArea.com. He is a full member of the
Boxing Writers Association of America and the Ratings Panel for Ring Magazine.
E-mail him at rmaquinana@gmail.com,
check out his blog at Norcalboxing.net, or follow him on Twitter: @RMaq28.
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