Drug testing row adds color to Donaire-Rigondeaux pre-fight buildup

WBO superbantamweight champion Nonito ‘The Filipino Flash’ Donaire and undefeated WBA superbantamweight champion and former two-time Olympic gold medalist Guillermo ‘El Chacal’ Rigondeaux of Cuba officially announced their upcoming April 13 fight with a press conference yesterday at the B.B. King Blues Club & Grill in New York.

The Donaire-Rogondeaux fight will be held at the iconic Radio City Music Hall in New York City and promoted by Top Rank.

Prior to the press conference, Donaire threatened not to move forward with the official announcement until Rigondeaux and his team present a signed copy of their agreement to submit to random testing for performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) through the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA).

Donaire (31-1, 20 KOs), who was recently named Fighter of the Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA), is currently the only professional boxer to voluntarily submit to random, year-round testing.

Rigondeaux (11-0, 8 KOs), who defected from Cuba in 2009, was reported to be hesitant to sign for the VADA drug testing agreed to in negotiations.

But with Team Rigondeaux finally agreeing to the terms, the unification match has been given the green light.

Promoter Bob Arum stated during the press conference that VADA “will submit its reports to the fight camps, to the promoter, in confidence, and to the New York State Athletic Commission who will be the only entity that has jurisdiction over what action if any to take based on those reports.”

This will be the second unification match for Donaire at 122 lbs. Last July 2012, he beat IBF champ Jeffrey Mathebula of South Africa by unanimous decision. Donaire would relinquish his IBF crown but was awarded the WBC Diamond belt three months later after beating WBC Emeritus champion Toshiaki Nishioka of Japan by 9th round TKO.

Rigondeaux had three wins last year against Rico Ramos (KO6), Teon Kennedy (TKO5) and Robert Marroquin (UD12). /correspondent Rene Bonsubre Jr.