Batamweight champ Nonito Donaire leaves Top-Rank for Golden Boy

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States (AHN Sports) – WBC and WBO bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire has officially joined Oscar’s De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions following a contract dispute with Bob Arum’s Golden Boy Promotions, multiple sources reported Thursday.

Donaire, who captured the WBC and WBO belts after brutally knocking out Fernando Montiel in the second round of their 12-round title bout last month, inked an exclusive multi-year deal with Golden Boy Promotions after negotiations with Arum went sour.

The 28-year-old Donaire was reportedly glad of joining Oscar De La Hoya’s stable, which also handles numerous of top-notch fighters today.

“I’m honored to be joining so many great fighters and champions on the Golden Boy Promotions team,” Donaire said in a statement Thursday. “I’m going to fight my heart out every time I’m in the ring and will give fans the fights they want to see.”

Meanwhile, Arum is questioning the legality of the new deal between GBP and Donaire, insisting the boxer is under contract with Top-Rank until 2013.

The Top-Rank head honcho added Donaire has still months left on a one-year extension before the contract expires on June 26.

Arum also hinted the possibility of another legal battle between Top-Rank and Golden Boy Promotions — the first time since the two promotion giants sued each other over the right for pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao.

“What this kid has to do now is live up to the contract.” Arum told RingTV.com.

Donaire, ranked fourth in the pund-for-pound list, is reportedly set to fight WBA bantamweight champion Anselmo Moreno at Oakland Coliseum tentatively in May.

Sources indicated Moreno is also leaning on jumping to Golden Boy Promotions after he was just offered $350,000 to fight the Filipino titlist.

However, Donaire, reportedly offered a lesser amount of $250,000 for the bantamweight unification bout, could face difficulty of working out a mega-buck fight in case he moved up to the featherweight class where Top-Rank pugilists like Yuriorkis Gamboa and Juan Manuel Lopez dominate.

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