5/29 PBC on SHO: Nordine Oubaali vs Nonito Donaire (WBC Bantamweight Title)

[patscorpio]

Nordine Oubaali-Nonito Donaire To Headline May 29 Showtime Tripleheader

BY JAKE DONOVAN
Published Thu Apr 15, 2021, 06:15 PM EDT


Nordine Oubaali and Nonito Donaire will try again to meet in the ring.

The oft-postponed WBC bantamweight title fight is now on schedule, with the two due to headline a Showtime Championship Boxing tripleheader May 29, the network announced on Thursday. A venue was not named in Showtime’s release, though expected to be announced in the coming days.

France’s Oubaali (17-0, 12KOs) will attempt the third defense of the title since winning the belt in a 12-round unanimous decision over Rau’Shee Warren in Jan. 2019. Oubaali—a two-time Olympian who represented France in 2008 Beijing and 2012 London—has not fought since scoring a 12-round decision over Takuma Inoue on Nov. 9, 2019, at Saitama Arena in Saitama, Japan.

The same venue saw the last ring appearance for Las Vegas' Donaire (40-6, 26KOs), the former four-division champion who fell just short to Naoya Inoue (Takuma’s older brother) in their World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) Bantamweight Tournament finale. Donaire had won two straight before that point, including a 4th round injury stoppage of Ryan Burnett to begin a second bantamweight title reign in Nov. 2018.

With this latest rescheduling comes at least the third assigned date for this fight, which was first ordered by the WBC in Dec. 2019. Little progress was made in seven weeks’ worth of negotiations, resulting in a purse bid hearing which TGB Promotions won last January. The hope at the time was to stage the bout last spring, only for the ongoing coronavirus pandemic to ruin such plans.

Showtime announced the fight last summer as part of a loaded 2020 second-half boxing schedule. The Dec. 12 date never held up for either boxer.

Oubaali tested positive for COVID-19 last November, forcing him to withdraw from the fight. Donaire was granted the opportunity to fight for the interim WBC bantamweight title versus Puerto Rico’s Emmanuel Rodriguez one week later, on Dec. 19. However, those plans were canceled when he also produced a positive COVID test. Rodriguez went to face Philippines’ Reymart Gaballo who won the interim belt via a disputed 12-round split decision.

Oubaali was granted the opportunity to make a voluntary defense earlier this spring. Plans for a March 13 homecoming bout in France versus Thailand’s Nawaphon Por Chokchai fell through due to travel restrictions imposed to offset the surge in COVID numbers. The development prompted Oubaali’s team to revisit this bout.

Donaire seeks his third bantamweight title win. The 38-year-old Fil-Am star has won major titles at flyweight, bantamweight, junior featherweight and featherweight over the course of his storied 18-year pro career.

Also on the show, Puerto Rico’s Subriel Matias (16-1, 16KO) returns to the network in a junior welterweight title eliminator versus Kazakhstan’s Batyzhan Jukembayev (18-0, 14KOs).

Matias is coming off of a 6th round stoppage of unbeaten Malik Hawkins last October. Jukembayev has not fought since a 2nd round knockout of Ricardo Lara last January in Montreal, with this bout marking his first outside of Canada.

The winner will face whoever prevails between a separate semifinal eliminator England’s Lewis Ritson (21-1, 12KOs) and Argentina’s Jeremias Ponce (27-0, 17KOs). The last man standing will become the mandatory challenger to the IBF 140-pound title currently held by Josh Taylor, also the WBA titlist who is entering a May 22 showdown with unified WBC/WBO champ Jose Ramirez for the undisputed championship.

Details of the show’s remaining undercard bout have yet to be revealed as this goes to publish.

The forthcoming event marks the latter of two Showtime Championship Boxing telecasts to air in May. As previously reported by BoxingScene.com, the network also announced a show to air May 15, headlined by the junior featherweight title unification fight between defending WBC titlist Luis Nery (31-0, 24KOs) and secondary WBA 122-pound beltholder Brandon Figueroa (21-0-1, 16KOs).

 

[Recca Gatsby]

When he gon retire with his brain still good

 

[patscorpio]

 

[LauderdaleBoss]

PBC with another fire card.

 

[patscorpio]

damn this card is being slept on

 

[LauderdaleBoss]

damn this card is being slept on

Facts

nikkas be going overboard with the PBC criticism, but then when they start putting epic shyt together, nikkas be silent and stop caring. Makes no fukking sense.

 

[patscorpio]

Facts

nikkas be going overboard with the PBC criticism, but then when they start putting epic shyt together, nikkas be silent and stop caring. Makes no fukking sense.

Or the opposite..nikkas fanboying PBC blindly to the point of caping for struggle cards involving their most popular fighters but silent on shyt like this

 

[patscorpio]

Photos: Nordine Oubaali, Nonito Donaire - Face-Off at Final Presser

BY BOXING PHOTOS
Published Thu May 27, 2021, 07:21 PM EDT


WBC Bantamweight World Champion Nordine Oubaali and future Hall of Famer Nonito Donaire went face-to-face Thursday at the final press conference before their world title showdown taking place this Saturday, May 29 live on SHOWTIME from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif., headlining a Premier Boxing Champions event. (photos by Esther Lin).

The press conference also featured hard-hitting contender Subriel Matias and unbeaten Batyr Jukembayev, who meet in the co-main event for a 12-round IBF Junior Welterweight Title Eliminator, and unbeaten 2016 U.S. Olympian Gary Antuanne Russell and Jovanie Santiago, who square off in a 10-round super lightweight clash that opens the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

The event is promoted by TGB Promotions. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at AXS.com. Dignity Health Sports Park will be open to fans in a limited capacity, with all guests remaining socially distanced and subject to local and state health guidelines throughout the event.

 

[patscorpio]

Photos: Matias-Jukembayev, Russell-Santiago - Face-Off at Final Presser

BY BOXING PHOTOS
Published Thu May 27, 2021, 07:33 PM EDT
WBC Bantamweight World Champion Nordine Oubaali and future Hall of Famer Nonito Donaire went face-to-face Thursday at the final press conference before their world title showdown taking place this Saturday, May 29 live on SHOWTIME from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif., headlining a Premier Boxing Champions event. (photos by Esther Lin).

The press conference also featured hard-hitting contender Subriel Matias and unbeaten Batyr Jukembayev, who meet in the co-main event for a 12-round IBF Junior Welterweight Title Eliminator, and unbeaten 2016 U.S. Olympian Gary Antuanne Russell and Jovanie Santiago, who square off in a 10-round super lightweight clash that opens the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

The event is promoted by TGB Promotions. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at AXS.com. Dignity Health Sports Park will be open to fans in a limited capacity, with all guests remaining socially distanced and subject to local and state health guidelines throughout the event.

 

[KingOFKings]

Facts

nikkas be going overboard with the PBC criticism, but then when they start putting epic shyt together, nikkas be silent and stop caring. Makes no fukking sense.

I’m blaming 2 things.

-Haney-Linares is the bigger fight

-Showtime’s lack of promo. You’re telling me they couldn’t even do a a little 10 minute Day in Camp for Russel? I know that’s not the main event, yet at least get the ball rolling on a fighter like that if you feel he’s going to be a star long term. How about a piece on Matias? Or Donaire. Nothing. Which is why I’m not super excited about FOX potentially leaving. At least FOX regularly puts out material on the fights. Are we guaranteed that Showtime will go back to putting out promo vids again? Maybe they do if they have the entire PBC roster again. I like the sport to grow, not shrink. They just have such a short term approach when it comes to promo. FOX’s approach is so much better.

 

[LauderdaleBoss]

I’m blaming 2 things.

-Haney-Linares is the bigger fight

-Showtime’s lack of promo. You’re telling me they couldn’t even do a a little 10 minute Day in Camp for Russel? I know that’s not the main event, yet at least get the ball rolling on a fighter like that if you feel he’s going to be a star long term. How about a piece on Matias? Or Donaire. Nothing. Which is why I’m not super excited about FOX potentially leaving. At least FOX regularly puts out material on the fights. Are we guaranteed that Showtime will go back to putting out promo vids again? Maybe they do if they have the entire PBC roster again. I like the sport to grow, not shrink. They just have such a short term approach when it comes to promo. FOX’s approach is so much better.

I don't even think Haney/Linares is the bigger fight, it just feels bigger cuz everyone been waiting for Haney to fight a live body with a name. He should be heavily favored to win.

I do agree that Showtime been dropping the ball with the promo and a lil feature about Russell would do wonders, could even tie it in with his brother.

Fox matchups been horrible tho, regardless of the promo.

 

[patscorpio]

Oubaali-Donaire Showtime Weigh-In Report From Los Angeles

BY JAKE DONOVAN
Published Fri May 28, 2021, 04:23 PM EDT








LOS ANGELES – Nordine Oubaali and Nonito Donaire are finally one day away from meeting in the ring in a fight more than a year in the making.



Both boxers made weight for their oft-rescheduled WBC bantamweight title fight, which headlines a Showtime tripleheader Saturday evening from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.



Oubaali (17-0, 12KOs) weighed 117.6 pounds ahead of the third defense of the WBC title he has held for more than two years. Donaire also registered at 117.6 pounds in pursuit of his third bantamweight title reign.



The bout was originally due to take place last May and again last December, with both occasions canceled due to COVID-related reasons. The delays have left both boxers out of the ring since November 7, 2019, when they appeared in separate bouts versus the Inoue family in Saitama, Japan.



France’s Oubaali—a two-time Olympian—turned away the challenge of the previously unbeaten Takuma Inoue for his third win of 2019. Donaire (40-6, 26KOs) came up just short versus the excellent Naoya Inoue in their World Boxing Super Series Bantamweight final and title unification bout, dropping a 12-round decision in a bout recognized by the Boxing Writers Association of America as the 2019 Fight of the Year.



Oubaali fights in the U.S. for just the second time in his pro career. His lone other stateside appearance ignited his title reign, outpointing three-time U.S. Olympian and former bantamweight titlist Rau’Shee Warren in Jan. 2019 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.



Donaire has held titles in four weight divisions, with a win on Saturday once again etching his name in boxing history. The 38-year-old future Hall of Famer from San Leandro, California by way of Philippines—who now lives and trains in Las Vegas—looks to break his own record as the oldest fighter ever to win a piece of the bantamweight crown, having done so nine days shy of his 36th birthday in a 4th round stoppage of Ryan Burnett in Nov. 2018.



Donaire has held titles at flyweight, bantamweight (twice), junior featherweight (twice) and featherweight.



The evening’s chief support pits Puerto Rico’s Subriel Matias (16-1, 16KOs) and Kazakhstan’s Batyr Jukembayev (18-0, 14KOs) in a 12-round IBF title eliminator. Fajardo's Matias weighed 139.6 pounds for his second straight Showtime appearance, while Jukembayev checked in at 139.8 pounds for his U.S. debut.



Opening the telecast, 2016 U.S. Olympian and streaking junior welterweight prospect Gary Antuanne Russell (13-0, 13KOs) of Capitol Heights, Maryland faces Bayamon, Puerto Rico’s Jovanie Santiago (14-1-1, 10KOs) in a scheduled 10-round contest.



Russell checked in at a ripped 137.2 pounds for his first fight since last February. Santiago weighed 140.8 pounds, returning to his natural weight after a one-off welterweight fight where he suffered a disputed 12-round points loss to Adrien Broner this past February at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.



All three bouts air live on Showtime, beginning 10:00 p.m. Eastern and 7:00 p.m. local time.

Below are the weights for the non-televised undercard bouts.

Alejandro Santiago Barrios (23-2-5, 12KOs), Tijuana, 117.6 pounds vs. Juan Gabriel Medina (12-6, 11KOs), La Romana, Dominican Republic, 118 pounds—8 rounds, bantamweight

Kevin Johnson (8-2, 3KOs), Detroit, 140 pounds vs. Luis Salazar (15-0, 3KOs), Santo Domingo, 139.4 pounds—8 rounds, junior welterweight

Atif Oblerlton (1-0, 1KO), Philadelphia, 179.8 pounds vs. Larry Pryor (14-23, 8KOs), Washington, D.C., 181.8 pounds—6 rounds, light heavyweight

Rey Diaz (4-0, 2KOs), Las Vegas, 134 pounds vs. Sergio Gonzalez (3-4, 2KOs), Compton, 135.8 pounds—4 rounds, lightweight

 

[thewiseman]

Tomorrow has a lot of fights I'm interested in...but damn it looks like it's gonna overlap

Hope Donaire wins.

 

[aceboon]

I know part of it is because he was mostly inactive last year but Russell doesn't get talked about enough amongst the young guns

 

[malbaker86]

This card better deliver with the way yall gassin it up