Quigg’s promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Promotions, is still considering the Donaire-Quigg fight but he feels the better alternative would be the long-sought Quigg-Frampton match because it could yield better financial return for Quigg, especially if it takes place in England.
“We held talks with the Donaire camp, but our priority remains Carl Frampton,” Hearn told ESPN Monday.
“I have meetings with Frampton’s team this week, and I really believe that we can close on that fight. If we can’t, then Scott is more than happy to fight Nonito, but while we are in these kind of negotiations for Frampton, I’m just not going to commit to that fight just yet,” Hearn added.
Earlier, Donaire’s wife and manager Rachel expressed apprehension that the fight won’t push trough.
“It looks like there’s no fight,” said Rachel Donaire of a Nonito v. Scott Quigg junior featherweight tangle.“These guys, they say they want a big fight. Then it comes time to sign and they balk,” she said.
For his part Donaire’s promoter Bob Arum said he has no problem with the status of negotiations because Quigg obviously wants to face Frampton in England.
“We came out with an arrangement to do the fight, but Barry told me he had to still discuss it with the fighter, and the fighter obviously prefers a fight with Frampton,” Arum told ESPN.com. “So that’s what he’s pursuing. No problem. They didn’t mislead us. Barry and I go back a long, long way.”
While waiting for the result of the ongoing talks, Arum is making arrangement with HBO to have the Donaire-Juarez alternative match in the proposed Dec. 12 fight of his former foe Nicholas Walters of Jamaica on HBO.
Juarez (17-3,0, 13 KOs), is coming off four straight wins since losing to Hugo Partida in 2013.
“We’d like to do it for the interim title,” Arum said. “If we can land a date on HBO, Donaire will fight in America. If not we’ll have him fight in Philippines or China,” he added.
