Rigondeaux-Kratingdaenggym canceled for Saturday

Thailand's Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym is out of Saturday night's HBO-televised match up with WBA junior featherweight beltholder Guillermo Rigondeaux that was scheduled to take place at The Toyota Center in Houston, and their fight has been canceled, Top Rank CEO Bob Arum announced on Thursday.

"The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation notified us today that they would not issue a license to Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym," said Arum, in a statement.

"I feel very badly for both fighters who trained very hard. Top Rank's matchmakers are working with HBO to returning Guillermo back to the ring as soon as possible."

Arum confirmed that former titleholder Kratingdaenggym failed his medical exam, but declined to go into details.

"All that we're saying is that the Texas commission has refused to clear him. Everything else is privacy, and I'm not going to violate this kid's privacy," said Arum.

"It's for the best of everybody. The Texas commission is a great commission, and the doctors are very, very good. He's not passed to fight. These things happen."

Arum said that he would try to bring back Rigondeaux in February, while, in the meantime, HBO will televise the scheduled main event between RING and WBO 122-pound champion Nonito Donaire and four-division titlewinner Jorge Arce.

The telecast of Donaire-Arce will begin at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT, opening with the rebroadcast of Juan Manuel Marquez's shocking sixth-round knockout of welterweight rival Manny Pacquiao that occurred last Saturday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Photo by Chris Farina, Top Rank

Lem Satterfield can be reached at lemuel.satterfield@gmail.com