***Top Rank inks Donaire!***

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[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Hall of Fame Top Rank promoter Bob Arum announced today the signing of flyweight world champion Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire in Las Vegas. Donaire, the reigning IBF and IBO titleholder, won the belt with a spectacular knockout of then undefeated champion Vic Darchinyan.


[/FONT]Arum's Top Rank signs flyweight titlist Donaire


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[/FONT] LAS VEGAS -- Flyweight titleholder Nonito Donaire, who split with promoter Gary Shaw earlier this month claiming he didn't deliver the number of fights he was owed under their contract, signed Thursday with Bob Arum's Top Rank.
"This is a new adventure for me," Donaire, flanked by his father, fiancée and manager Cameron Dunkin, said at a news conference at Mandalay Bay. "I'm not backing out on whoever Mr. Arum or Cameron put in front of me. I'm excited and really happy. I want to fight the best. Bring 'em on."
The three-year deal, with a Top Rank option for a fourth year, guarantees Donaire a minimum of three bouts per year. Donaire also received an undisclosed signing bonus.
"He's somebody we have great hopes for," Arum said.
Arum said Donaire's first fight for Top Rank would probably come in August followed by a bigger fight in October, possibly in Macau, the Chinese gambling resort territory where Arum wants stage a championship tripleheader this fall.
Arum promotes at least two serious potential opponents for Donaire, junior bantamweight titleholder Fernando Montiel and contender Jorge Arce. Arum said he'd like to make those fights.
Donaire (19-0, 12 KOs), who is from the Philippines but lives in California, won a 112-pound world title with a sensational fifth-round knockout of heavily favored Vic Darchinyan on July 7, 2007. But the 25-year-old has fought just once since, stopping Luis Maldonado in the eighth round on Dec. 1.
Donaire was upset with Shaw for not keeping him busy and then for making arrangements to put him on an Aug. 2 Showtime card headlined by Darchinyan's junior bantamweight title challenge against Dimitri Kirilov. Donaire was unhappy about fighting on the undercard of a fighter he had knocked out.
The pairing of Top Rank and Donaire doesn't come as a surprise.
"He's a good champion and a very personable kid," Arum said. "No brainer to sign him."
Donaire is managed by Dunkin, who has almost all of his fighters signed with Top Rank. Also, Top Rank has been expanding its ties with fighters from the Philippines. It already promotes Manny Pacquiao, the Philippines national hero, and rising junior featherweight contender Bernabe Concepcion.
Top Rank also has matched Glenn Donaire, Nonito's older brother, in a July 12 fight against junior flyweight titleholder Ulises Solis.
Donaire, who idolizes Pacquiao, has aspirations to win titles in multiple divisions like Pacquiao has done. He said he'd like to unify flyweight titles and challenge for championships all the way to junior lightweight (112 pounds up to 130).
"That's the fighter that I am. I want to give it all I can like Pacquiao," Donaire said. "He inspired me like everyone else in the Philippines."

 

Top Rank signs rising flyweight champ Donaire

LAS VEGAS — Nonito Donaire will soon get his turn on boxing's biggest stages after the IBF flyweight champion signed a promotional contract with Top Rank.
Promoter Bob Arum announced the deal Thursday alongside Donaire, a Filipino-born fighter who grew up in San Leandro, Calif., a Bay Area suburb. Long a promising prospect with no big-name victories, Donaire leaped into prominence last year with a fifth-round knockout victory over Vic Darchinyan to win the 112-pound title.


"I'm a very ambitious person," Donaire said. "I'm never the kind who's going to be satisfied with anything. I want to fight the best out there. Bring them, whoever they are. I'm not backing out on anyone Mr. Arum wants to put in front of me."


In his title victory in Bridgeport, Conn., last July, Donaire (19-1, 12 KOs) fought surprisingly well before dramatically ending the bout with a one-punch knockout of Darchinyan, the Australian champion who wasn't expected to get much resistance in his seventh title defense.


Donaire hasn't lost since his second pro fight in 2001, but he has fought just once since winning his title, beating Luis Maldonado in December. A fight with Hussein Hussein in Dubai was canceled last April, but Donaire moved to sever ties with promoter Gary Shaw last week, complaining he wasn't getting enough action.


That shouldn't be a problem with Arum, who said he hopes to match Donaire with powerful 115-pound champion Fernando Montiel. The fighters could headline a card in Macau this fall if Montiel wins his defense against Jose Navarro next month on the Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito undercard.
Veteran junior bantamweight Jorge Arce also is on Arum's short list of matchups for Donaire. Donaire couldn't fight Montiel until October at the earliest, so Arum also hopes to put Donaire in a tuneup fight in August.


Donaire's contract with Top Rank guarantees three fights a year.
"He's someone who has captured the imagination of everyone in the Philippines," Arum said of Donaire, whose family moved to the Bay Area around Donaire's 10th birthday. "There's so many terrific fighters in these divisions that we can't wait to make the best possible matches."
Donaire hopes to follow the career path of fellow Filipino Manny Pacquiao, who will fight WBC lightweight champion David Diaz for a title in his fourth weight class Saturday. Donaire said he could imagine fighting at 130 pounds before his career ends.
Glenn Donaire, Nonito's older brother, will fight Ulises Solis in Mexico on July 12 for Solis' 108-pound title.
The Associated Press