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WBC orders Donaire to face Gaballo, Russell to stake belt vs Magsayo

Roy Luarca

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WBC orders Donaire to face Gaballo, Russell to stake belt vs Magsayo

TITLE BOUT. Nonito Donaire is set to face Reymart Gaballo according to the World Boxing Council

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The unification bout between Nonito Donaire and Johnriel Casimero will have to wait

Nonito Donaire will have to dangle his title against Reymart Gaballo while Mark Magsayo will get a shot at Gary Russell’s crown.

These developments were part of the World Boxing Council’s announcement of four major mandatory fights.

This means, the grudge unification between Donaire, the WBC bantamweight champion, and Johnriel Casimero, the World Boxing Organization 118-pound king, will have to wait.

Unless, of course, the unbeaten Gaballo (24-0, 20 knockouts) steps aside to pave the way for the once-stalled Donaire-Casimero tussle.

Owing to his devastating 10th round knockout of Julio Ceja in their eliminator on August 14, Magsayo (23-0, 16 knockouts) has been given the chance to snatch Russell’s WBC featherweight belt.

Though boxing pundits, including MP (Manny Pacquiao) Promotions president Sean Gibbons, don’t feel comfortable pitting Magsayo’s style against that of Russell (31-1, 18 knockouts), who has defended the 126-pound title five times since 2015, the pride of Dauis, Bohol feels he can overpower the speedy American.

According to Magsayo, sharing the ring with Russell is his dream fight and he’s willing to do whatever chief trainer Freddie Roach and assistant Marvin Somodion tell him to work on just to succeed.

Fighting Gaballo will be a big disappointment for four-division world champion Donaire, whose eyes are locked on Naoya Inoue and Casimero, in that order.

Despite the sterling record of Gaballo, pride of Sanman Promotions, Donaire is expected to be the favorite when they clash owing to the Filipino Flash’s vast experience against touted opponents. – Rappler.com

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