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Showtime already boasts a World Super Middleweight World Boxing Classic featuring six of the premiere 168-pound fighters in the sport in which the WBA and WBC championship belts and an overall crown are on the line.
But now that the network is reportedly considering a similar tournament for bantamweights (118 pounds), Top Rank Promotions CEO Bob Arum said that two of his fighters have elected not to participate -- although they have apparently chosen to be a part of the field.
They are WBO bantamweight (118 pounds) titlist Fernando Montiel and rising WBA interim super flyweight (115 pounds) champion Nonito Donaire of the Philippines, each of whom scored big wins last month.
Citing the plan of Showtime's Ken Hershman, executive vice president and general manager of sports, ESPN.com's Dan Rafael reported that the six fighters being considered are Montiel, Donaire, IBF king Yonnhy Perez (20-0-1, 14 KOs), ex-champ Joseph Agbeko (27-2, 22 KOs), IBO titlist Vic Darchinyan (35-2-1, 27 KOs), and prospect Abner Mares (19-0-1, 12 KOs).
"Yeah, but Donaire won't go in because Montiel won't go in. So those two guys are out. They're going to fight each other," said Arum. "And their fight will not be part of the tournament," said Arum, adding that Montiel and Donaire are slated to face each other perhaps on Dec. 4 either in Atlantic City, New York's Madison Square Garden or the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, according to Arum.
"Showtime did approach us for Donaire and for Montiel to go in," said Arum. "But Montiel refused, and Donaire won't go in if Montiel is not in the tournament."
Arum said that Montiel (pictured at right)-Donaire could take place on the undercard of a bout between WBA junior middleweight (154 pounds) king Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico and Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. of Mexico.The 31-year-old Perez is coming off of May's majority draw with the Mexican-born Mares, while the 30-year-old Agbeko has not fought since being dethroned by Perez on Halloween.
Perez and Agbeko are scheduled to rematch on Nov. 6, according to Gary Shaw, the promoter of Perez and Darchinyan. Perez-Agbeko would be the first round of the tournament, which would run through 2011.
Prior to facing Perez, Agbeko had defended his crown by a unanimous decision over the Armenian-born Darchinyan, who had risen from super flyweight (115 pounds) where he wore the WBC, WBA and IBF belts.
Darchinyan has won three straight times since losing to Abeko in July, including a 12-round unanimous decision victory over Eric Barcelona in a clash of southpaws for the vacant crown he now wears.
Darchinyan improved to 7-1-1, with five knockouts since losing by a July, 2007 fifth-round knockout to Donaire.
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