Sen. Manny Pacquiao will have Nonito Donaire as a co-star when he faces World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight king Jessie Vargas on Nov. 5 at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.
Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum told TEMPO yesterday that while a contract has yet to be signed by Donaire and prospective foe Jessie Magdaleno, he doesn’t see any stumbling block to it coming into fruition.
“It won’t be difficult to get this fight done although we still have to talk to the fighters,” said Arum.
Arum’s decision to beef up the Nov. 5 card had long been the dream of Donaire, who has fought under Pacquiao’s shadow being the Philippines’ most popular pugilist next to the eight-division champion.
Magdaleno, 24, who has a 23-0-0 win-loss-draw record with 17 KOs, is of Mexican lineage but fought under the Star Spangled Banner as an amateur and logged a 120-16 slate.