Nonito Donaire vs. Emmanuel Rodriguez - December 19, 2020 (OFF)

[Ruthless-RKO]

Oubaali Out; Nonito Donaire-Emmanuel Rodriguez Set For 12/19 On Showtime

Nonito Donaire has a new opponent and a different date for his next fight.

“The Filipino Flash” was supposed to challenge WBC bantamweight champ Nordine Oubaali on December 12 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Boxing Scene has learned that visa issues have prevented Oubaali from receiving clearance to travel from France to the United States, however, thus Donaire instead will meet Emmanuel Rodriguez in a main event Showtime will televise December 19 from Mohegan Sun Arena.

Las Vegas’ Donaire (40-6, 26 KOs), the mandatory challenger for Oubaali’s WBC 118-pound championship, and Rodriguez (19-1, 12 KOs) are expected to fight for a version of the WBC bantamweight title. The WBC had not approved Donaire-Rodriguez as a title fight as of the time this story was posted, though.

Assuming the WBC sanctions Donaire-Rodriguez as a bantamweight championship match, the winner would be expected to battle Oubaali (17-0, 12 KOs) at a later date.

Puerto Rico’s Rodriguez is a former IBF bantamweight champ who has lost only to Japanese star Naoya Inoue (20-0, 17 KOs), who knocked out Rodriguez in the second round of their May 2019 bout in Glasgow, Scotland. Rodriguez is rated fourth among the WBC’s bantamweight contenders, three spots beneath the number one-ranked Donaire.

Showtime’s broadcast December 19 also will include a 10-round welterweight bout between Philadelphia’s Jaron Ennis (26-0, 24 KOs) and Puerto Rico’s Thomas Dulorme (25-4-1, 16 KOs).

Boxing Scene has been informed, too, that Showtime and Premier Boxing Champions have agreed to move a show previously announced for November 28 to December 12, the date the two companies had set aside for the Donaire-Oubaali show. That card still will take place at Mohegan Sun, as planned.

That December 12 tripleheader will be headlined by Brooklyn’s Chris Colbert (14-0, 5 KOs), who will defend his WBA interim world super featherweight title against Panama’s Jaime Arboleda (16-1, 13 KOs).

The December 12 telecast also will include two 10-round bouts.

Brooklyn’s Richardson Hitchins (11-0, 5 KOs) and Dominican veteran Argenis Mendez (25-5-3, 12 KOs, 1 NC) will meet in a junior welterweight bout. Russian southpaw Matt Korobov (28-3-1, 14 KOs) and Ronald Ellis (17-1-2, 11 KOs, 1 NC), of Lynn, Massachusetts, also will square off in a televised middleweight match that night.

[JxhDel.]

Rodriguez is beatable for a bantam Donaire at this stage. Good match-up.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Nonito Donaire vs Emmanuel Rodriguez sanctioned for WBC 118lb title

WBC World Bantamweight Champion Nordine Oubaali was scheduled to make a mandatory defense of his title on December 19, 2020, against Number 1 WBC-rated boxer Nonito Donaire.

Due to Champion Oubaali’s positive Covid-19 test result in late October, the WBC has placed Champion Oubaali as WBC World Champion In-Recess.

The WBC approved a bout between Number 1 Donaire and Number 4 Emmanuel Rodriguez for the title.

The WBC wishes to clarify the WBC Bantamweight Division. WBC World Champion Nordine Oubaali status in light of the WBC’s designation of WBC World Champion Oubaali as Champion In-Recess, according to the governing WBC Rules & Regulation.

1. As WBC World Champion In Recess, Champion Oubaali is, remains, and will remain WBC World Champion.

2. Champion Oubaali now enjoys the designation of WBC World Champion “In-Recess.” That designation in no way diminishes the WBC’s recognition, or Champion Oubaali’s status, as WBC World Champion. In fact, the World Champion In-Recess designation elevates his status to a higher level by conferring to Champion Oubaali additional privileges he did not enjoy before.

a. Champion Oubaali will not have a pre-set deadline to return to the ring without losing his World Champion Status. Instead, his return will be driven by the WBC’s and the local commission’s specific medical requirements for cases like his.

b. Champion Oubaali will return to the ring as the fully recognized returning WBC World Champion. If he so chooses, he will be allowed to make a defense of his title in a voluntary contest, get back in the ring, and prepare for the mandatory fight.

NONITO DONAIRE WINNER

3. Concerning Champion Oubaali’s future mandatory bout with the Donaire vs. Rodriguez bout winner. Consistent with the WBC Rules & Regulations, the WBC will start a new free negotiations period.

If the parties do not agree within that period, the WBC will schedule a new purse offer ceremony. A purse split stipulation of 60/40 in favor of Champion Oubaali.

4. If Champion Oubaali chooses to make a voluntary defense in February of 2021, Donaire vs. Rodriguez’s winner must fight Champion Oubaali without any intervening bout (assuming Champion Oubaali wins his voluntary defense).

If for any reason, Champion Oubaali requests a date after February of 2021 to make a voluntary defense, then the WBC will evaluate the timing of the mandatory bout to make sure that Champion Oubaali will be available to fight within the same timeframe as the winner of the Donaire vs. Rodriguez bout.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Emmanuel Rodriguez Believes Age Will Be Factor in Nonito Donaire Fight

"This fight is to show that [my loss against Inoue] happened and we are back on the map," Rodriguez said to Carlos Gonzalez. "Not all boxers get a second chance at a world title after a loss, but against Donaire I will make the kind of fight that everyone was used to seeing from me.

“Donaire is a future Hall of Famer, without question. I am proud to be able to fight him and he deserves respect, but he's received a lot of punishment during his career, he just turned 38 years old and the movements should not be the same. He is not being looked down upon, but I have many advantages due to age. He made a great fight to Inoue, however he took too many punches. Donaire is a legend, but on December 19 he will have to deal with me.

"I can't afford to lose. Coming from a loss and fighting for a world title is not an opportunity given to just anyone. Mentally and physically I am fresher than Donaire."

[Ruthless-RKO]

Boots Ennis-Chris van Heerden added to Dec. 19 Showtime undercard

The Nonito Donaire-Emmanuel “Manny” Rodriguez WBC bantamweight world title fight on Dec. 19 on Showtime from the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut, received a very attractive co-feature when burgeoning welterweight star Jaron “Boots” Ennis takes on Chris van Heerden in a 10-round 147-pound battle, numerous sources confirmed.

The Donaire-Rodriguez WBC bantamweight world title fight was first reported by BS.com’s Keith Idec back in November.

Ennis (26-0, 24 knockouts) is coming off a sixth-round stoppage to Juan Carlos Abreu in September and is considered one of the best prospects on the world. Abreu went six rounds with the 23-year-old Philadelphian, which marked the third time in Ennis’ career that he went six, the most he’s ever been extended.

Van Heerden is a rugged 33-year-old South African southpaw who’s only been stopped once in his career (by Errol Spence Jr. in Sept. 2015) and is on a five-fight winning streak.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Donaire has COVID!

Fight is off..

First Oubaali and now this..

[ldlamb]

They should let Donaire and Oubaali fight each other now....they won’t be giving it to each other.

[oogiebe]

They should let Donaire and Oubaali fight each other now....they won’t be giving it to each other.

WBC could call it the "COVIDbelt."