Nonito Donaire Could Face Jorge Arce in Looming PPV Debut

Following his TKO win over highly rated Japanese fighter Toshiaki Nishioka Saturday night at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California, Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire is now inching toward his long-awaited pay-per-view (PPV) debut against the popular Mexican fighter Jorge Arce.

The long-awaited PPV debut for Donaire could happen as early as December either in Mexico or in the United States, provided Arce does not price himself out in negotiations and that Donaire's injured left hand heals in time for the fight.

After his victory over Nishioka, the "Filipino Flash" was in obvious pain—his left-hand glove was pulled, showing blood stains from his white hand wrap. His hand injury surfaced after his fight against Wilfredo Vazquez in San Antonio, Texas, last year.

Donaire's promoter, Bob Arum, who likewise promotes Jorge Arce, said he could arrange a fight with Jorge Arce as early as December. “If his hands heal, we could do that fight,” said Arum (via Inquirer.net).

But Donaire's manager, Cameron Dunkin, said Arce has already priced himself out for having demanded a purse of over $1 million. Donaire has yet to get a $1 million purse in his career. He was reportedly paid around $800,000 for his fight with Nishioka.

“I would love to fight Arce,” said Dunkin. “That would be a great fight, that would be a pay-per-view fight on demand because of the Mexican and Filipino fans. Then they can share the pay-per-view revenues on top of their guaranteed purse.”

In the post-fight interview Saturday, Arum said (via Philstar.com) he will try to secure more fights for Donaire, who has previously expressed his desire to fight more than twice a year under Arum's Top Rank Promotions.

Donaire has what it takes to be a PPV star because of his entertaining style and his awesome displays of speed and power as he moves around the ring.

An indication Donaire is ripe to headline a PPV fight of his own is the fact that he has already attracted substantial attendance numbers in his most recent fights.

If the Donaire-Arce fight makes it onto pay-per-view, it could be the first to be covered on PPV for a bantamweight or even featherweight bout, as it has been observed that PPV fights appeal more to heavier weight classes.

Jorge Arce, who hails from Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, is the current WBO bantamweight and the second Mexican boxer to win titles in four weight divisions. He is 33 years old and stands 5'4" with a win-loss record of 60-6 with two draws.

The 29-year-old Donaire is a Filipino-American fighter who originally hails from General Santos City, Philippines. "The Filipino Flash" has a win-loss record of 30-1, and he is a four-division world titlist. At 5'7" with a reach of 63 inches, he stands three inches higher than Arce.