Guillermo Rigondeaux Off Donaire vs. Arce card; Kratingdaenggym fails physical?
The World Boxing Association (WBA) super bantamweight championship fight between undefeated defending champion Guillermo “El Chacal” Rigondeaux and former world champion Poonsawat Kartingdaenggym has been canceled from this Saturday’s card at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Rigondeaux vs. Kratingdaenggym was scheduled to be televised live on HBO® as the co-main event to the Nonito Donaire vs. Jorge Arce World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior featherweight title fight.
“The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation notified us today that they would not issue a license to Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym,” said Bob Arum, CEO of Top Rank®. “I feel very badly for both fighters who trained very hard. Top Rank’s matchmakers are working with HBO to returning Guillermo back to the ring as soon as possible.”
Rumors are already circulating that Kratingdaenggym failed pre-fight physicals which are typically routine. We don’t have any more details on this as of right now, but we’ll let you know when we find out whether or not there are any drug-testing issues or anything else going on here.
It’s too bad, because this was another opportunity to get Rigondeaux and Donaire on the same card, and build interest in a showdown between those two guys for 2013. Rigondeaux is entirely off the card as well, and won’t have any replacement opponent on short notice.
Donaire vs. Arce will go on as scheduled, televised live on HBO, beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT. The telecast will open with the exclusive replay of last week’s Fight of the Year — MANNY PACQUIAO vs. JUAN MANUEL MÁRQUEZ 4.
