Just when we thought all things have finally become all easy-breezy when it comes to the deals and negotiations for the anticipated April 13 WBO/WBA Super Bantamweight weight unification match between pound-for-pound ranker Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire and Cuban slugger Guillermo Rigondeaux.
News flash: it has come to a halt – again.
After agreeing to the terms of the fight proposed by Top Rank and Donaire’s camp, Rigondeaux apparently agreed to all the conditions laid out for both fighters, including the agreement for a rigorous drug testing that will be handled by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) in which Donaire is publicly known as a good supporter of.
VADA aims to randomly test both fighters from (at least) the start of training camp until the bout finally ends to avoid and detect the use of illegal performance enhancing drugs (PED) that are currently tainting the image of the sweet science.
Alleged use of PED’s and random drug testing were also what completely derailed the proposed mega-fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao back in 2011.
Donaire was the one who broke out the news to the public through his official Twitter page. “I want you guys to hear it from me first, I am not going to NYC for the presser this Thursday [because] Rigo [Rigondeaux] is backing off his agreement to VADA (Voluntary Anti-Doping Association) drug testing,” he tweeted.
“Rigo’s team verbally agreed to VADA testing both online and in negotiations but now that the contract to start testing is in front of them, they are finding every excuse not to sign and delay the start of the testing,” he posted afterwards.
Doniare also stated that he has yet to ink the fight contract that will seal and finalize the deal for his fight with the WBA beltholder and unbeaten Rigondeaux.
“I have no obligations to fight only him. It disappoints me that top fighters these days run from everything that will hold professional boxing integrity to its highest standard. I will be looking into other opponents with my manager, Cameron Dunkin immediately,” Donaire tweeted.
He then insisted he never demanded his opponents to undertake the VADA drug testing as part of the negotiations before the bout and that it was in fact Rigondeaux who “called me out and agreed to do VADA testing on his own.” “It was also in negotiations. So why back out when you gave your word as a man?” said Donaire.
It can be read all over Donaire’s statements that what really drew the Filipino Flash’s ire was Rigondeaux resisting to fully comply with VADA’s drug testing requirements. This doesn’t automatically mean that we should imply that he is on PED’s but simply a boxer not yielding to the other boxer’s strict demands. However, it surely spoiled a nice act that other boxers could follow to show that boxing is still a clean sport and has an unyielding campaign to stop athletes, especially boxers, to dope themselves with performance enhancing drugs.
Donaire is one of the athletes voluntarily submitting themselves to VADA’s strict drug testing, engaging to start a mission to clean the image of a sport that’s now being associated with PED’s with a number of boxers – even high profile ones – admitting that they used PED’s in the past in order to perform better.
