MANILA – World Boxing Council (WBC) bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire Jr. will defend his championship title against a Filipino, but it will not be World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight champion John Riel Casimero.
The World Boxing Council announced Tuesday on its Twitter account that the Talibon, Bohol-native Donaire, will guard his 118-pound title against fellow Filipino Reymart Gaballo.
This will be Donaire’s first defense of the world title he won in May in the United States with a 10th-round knockout (KO) victory over French fighter Nordine Oubaali.
He was set to fight Casimero in a unification match in August, but both camps failed to reach an agreement, with the former withdrawing due to the latter’s social media antics.
Gaballo, on the other hand, gained the opportunity to fight Donaire following his controversial split decision win against Puerto Rican Emmanuel Rodriguez last December for the WBC interim world bantamweight title.
It was a dubious victory for the well-known knockout puncher from Polomolok, South Cotabato since he was dominated throughout the bout by Rodriguez. The WBC ordered a rematch for this year, but Rodriguez chose to fight someone else.
Donaire will enter the fight with a 41-6-0 win-loss-draw record, with 27 stoppage victories, while Gaballo, 25, has an untainted 24-0-0 slate, with 20 wins by way of KOs.
Meanwhile, the WBC also mandated undefeated Filipino boxer Mark Magsayo to battle American Gary Russell Jr. for the latter’s WBC world featherweight championship.
Magsayo earned his shot for the world featherweight title following his sensational 10-round KO victory against Mexican Julio Ceja last month.
Magsayo, 26, will defend an unblemished 23-0-0 record, with 16 stoppage victories, while Russell boasts a 31-1-0 slate, including 18 triumphs within the distance./PN
