RING 122-pound champion Nonito Donaire will meet undefeated WBA counterpart Guillermo Rigondeaux in a highly-anticipated clash on April 13 at New York's Radio City Music Hall.
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Arum: Donaire-Rigondeaux on April 13 at Radio City Music Hall
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A press conference will be held on Thursday in New York to officially announce the clash between RING junior featherweight champion Nonito Donaire and WBA counterpart Guillermo Rigondeaux, according to Top Rank CEO Bob Arum. Arum said the press conference will likely begin at New York's Madison Square Garden, with a followup "photo-op" to be held at Radio City Music Hall, where the HBO-televised clash will be contested on April 13. Rigondeaux (11-0, 8 knockouts) is a two-time Olympic gold medalist who, like Donaire (30-1, 20 KOs), is promoted by Top Rank. Donaire is coming off December's third-round knockout of Mexican former four-division titleholder Jorge Arce, having already made his 122-pound debut with last February's split decision over ex-beltholder Wilfredo Vazquez Jr., and followed that up with a unanimous decision over South Africa's Jeffrey Mathebula for the IBF title in July.
In October of last year, Donaire's ninth-round stoppage of Toshiaki Nishioka, handed the legendary Japanese fighter his first loss since March of 2004 -- a span of eight years and seven months. Rigondeaux was scheduled to face Thailand's Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym on the Donaire-Arce undercard at The Toyota Center in Houston before his rival's licence was not allowed due to his failed medical exam, according to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
Photo by Chris Farina-Top Rank Lem Satterfield can be reached at lemuel.satterfield@gmail.com
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