SHOWTIME is planning another tournament that will pit some of the best bantamweights in the world, Nonito Donaire Jr. included.
Showtime is interested on putting up a tournament like the Super Six for the six elite 118-pound fighters. The six are World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Organization bantamweight king Fernando Montiel, interim World Boxing Association (WBA) super flyweight titlist Donaire, WBA and WBC super flyweight titleholder Vic Darchinyan, International Boxing Federation bantamweight champion Yonnhy Perez, unbeaten Abner Mares and former world titleholder Joseph Agbeko.
However, the proposed tournament will be cut to only four fighters after Bob Arum, who handles both Montiel and Donaire under his Top Rank banner, said he isn’t at all interested in Showtime’s idea.
“Montiel and Donaire were invited,” Arum said in a report at the Examiner.com. “But I told Showtime I was only interested in an elimination tournament.”
Arum turned down the offer because he was concerned about the health of both of his fighters if they joined the tournament.
“I don’t want my guys fighting in there just because there are big paydays,” said Arum. “If one gets hurt and is in a condition where he should not keep fighting, I don’t want them in there.”
In the “Super Six” tournament, where some of the best super middleweights were tapped, former world champion Jermain Taylor was forced to leave the competition after suffering two devastating knockout losses to Carl Froch and Arthur Abraham.
In the meantime, Donaire and Montiel are tentatively set to face each other sometime in November.
Both world champions are fresh from impressive knockout victories last month. Donaire, 27, pulled off an eighth-round stoppage win over Mexican Hernan Marquez and Montiel had a third-round knockout over former world titlist Rafael Concepcion.