MANILA – Filipino boxer Nonito Donaire Jr. has tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) resulting into the cancellation of his world title clash next week at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut, United States.
In a report by BoxingScene on Thursday, the former four-division world boxing champion will have his WBC world bantamweight title match against Puerto Rican Emmanuel Rodriguez on a later date.
The world title bout is supposed to be a comeback fight for Donaire after losing to Japanese boxer Naoya Inoue in a tightly-contested world title bout in Japan last year.
The Talibon, Bohol-native Donaire, who was the number one ranked bantamweight fighter by WBC, currently has 40-6-0 win-loss-draw ring record, including 26 knockout wins.
Prior to the cancellation, the 38-year-old Donaire was very much excited with his upcoming match after keeping toe-to-toe with Inoue in their world title clash.
“For maybe half a year the loss to Inoue haunted me,” Donaire said in an interview with BoxingScene last Wednesday. “But with the pandemic, I started to realize what I lacked – my killer instinct.”
“Usually, people when I hurt them they are done and over with, but that did not happen. But I believe that the Inoue fight brought back me. The lack of killer instinct caused me the fight, but it also caused me to realize where I can be again,” he added.
Rodriguez (19-1-0 win-loss-draw with 12 KOs) will still likely to fight in the bout scheduled Dec. 19 as he will have a substitute match, possibly against a compatriot.
Meanwhile, Filipino fighter Reymart Gaballo has been added to the fight card against Jose Velazquez of Chile in a non-title bout.
Gaballo has an impressive 23-0-0 win-loss-draw ring record with 20 of his triumphs coming by way of stoppages. Velazquez has 28-6-2 slate with 19 KO wins./PN
