Donaire to fight WBA champ Moreno on May 28

Two weeks since becoming world bantamweight champion, Filipino Nonito Donaire Jr has taken the first step in unifying the 118-pound division. Donaire's manager Cameron Dunkin expects a fight against World Boxing Association (WBA) champion Anselmo Moreno, possibly on May 28 in California. The 28-year-old Donaire currently holds the World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Organization (WBO) versions of the bantamweight belts following his quick second-round destruction of Mexican Fernando Montiel at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas last February 19. "(Promoter Bob) Arum tells me the fight is pretty much on," said Dunkin in an interview aired by RingTV. “Arum offered us the fight. We’d like to go May 28 up in the Bay Area, most likely Oakland (California), on HBO. Initially, a showdown with the winner of the bantamweight contest between International Boxing Federation (IBF) champion Joseph Agbeko and Abner Mares is being eyed for Donaire. But with Donaire belonging to the Top Rank stable and the bantamweight tournament being an undertaking of rival promotion Golden Boy, the fight may find difficulty ever transpiring, given the tainted relationship between the two leading boxing promotions. Moreno doesn't belong to any major boxing promotion. Donaire welcomes the challenge of meeting the 25-year-old Moreno from El Martillo, Panama. "He's the champion. I want to fight champions. I don't want to wait for the other guys to finish their tournament," said Donaire, who is now based in San Leandro, California. "I think he's the best guy out there next to Montiel. "Just pretty much cleaning out and at the end of it all, just be crowned undisputed. That's a dream come true (for me), then move up for a different goal and a different dream." Incidentally, Moreno wrested the WBA crown in 2008 from Ukrainian Wladimir Sidorenko (split decision), the same man whom Donaire destroyed inside four rounds in their non-title fight last December. The man known as Panama's 25th world champion successfully defended his title four times, the last two both via split decisions against Nehomar Cermeno. Moreno sports a 30-1-1 record, with just 10 KOs. Donaire has a ring record of 26-1, including 18 KOs. He's been undefeated in the last 10 years, and has been perfect in five world title fights, all of which he won by knockout. - RCJ, KY, GMA News