My exclusive breaking story about "Filipino Flash" Nonito Donaire flexing his free agent boxing muscles had only been posted for less than 30 minutes before my mobile phone buzzed with a familiar number and name attached.
It was Top Rank Head Honcho Bob Arum, spry as ever at age 79, who wanted to make it clear that his position is that the exciting world bantamweight champion, who just lit up the HB fight cameras with a crushing, two round KO over Fernando Montiel, remains under the TR promotional banner.
And, Arum said, any outside promoter who deals with the 28 year old Donaire will invite legal repercussions in a lightning quick manner.
"This is absurd, really. The manager (Cameron Dunkin) knows what the story is," Arum said by phone from his palatial Las Vegas lair. "What the kid is doing, well he might screw himself up with this."
Donaire was reportedly paid $325,000 for the Donaire fight which, Arum said, "was above his minimum purse as was his purse for the Wladimir Sidorenko bout, the previous fight.
"We're putting him into a May 28 title fight and Nonito will get a purse which is a helluva lot more than he's ever made before."
Arum revealed that Donaire apparently engaged the legal services of Vegas lawyer ("he's no ambulance chaser, but he doesn't know all the facts," Arum said) John Bailey to write to Top Rank about the lanky boxer possibly moving on.
SEE RECONCILED SON DONAIRE ON NONITO SR., 'MY DAD NEVER STOLE MY MONEY.'
Arum said that a plain reading of Donaire's promotional contract, enterted into on June 26, 2008, shows that it would expire this coming June 26 except that it contains an "at promoter's sole discretion 12 month extension" clause.
"We sent out our letter exercising the one year extension, exercising our option," Arum said. "We had anytime before the expiration to exercise this and exercise it we did."
Arum said the exercise of the 12 month extension took place on Feb. 21, or two days after the Filipino-American's scintillating, two round smashmouth KO over Mexcian veteran Montiel.
Arum did not sound angry but said that any promoter trying to lure Donaire would hear from Top Rank's outside counsel, O'Melveny & Myers.
That's all they would be doing, inviting arbitration or other legal action."
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