Flyweight

Abner Mares will surrender his junior featherweight title and move up to the featherweight division after his dream fight with superstar Nonito Donaire fell through the cracks after negotiations (per ESPN).

Even though a record $3 million payday was offered to Donaire, the Filipino champ and his promoters, Top Rank, turned down the hefty sum.

This will continue the unfortunate trend in boxing, where top fighters in a division do not meet in the ring due to failed negotiations. Although not as big as a possible Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao bout, a Mares-Donaire fight is just as important.

Donaire (32-1, 20 KOs) and Mares (25-0-1, 13 KOs) have been two of the most exciting fighters over the past few years and seemed to be on a collision course to meet in the ring. Now with Mares moving up in weight, a Mares-Donaire bout is just a fantasy for now.

If the two fighters continue to win as most expect they will, it may take for Donaire to move up to the featherweight division along with successful negotiations to land the fight the boxing world was hoping to see sometime in 2013, despite Mares saying otherwise.

Mares told ESPN.com:

I want to say that I am still open to fighting at 122 to make the fight with Donaire. I know Top Rank said after his fight is done on April 13 that they are willing to negotiate. I hope that's the case. If it is, and they want to do the fight at 122, I am more than open to it. Or we can do it at 126. Either way.

Sure Mares may say that now, but once he becomes comfortable at 126 pounds , he may think again about moving back down in weight meeting Donaire at 122 and demand Donaire move up to 126 pounds to fight him at his new weight class.

This development could open a new set of excuses from both corners, something that plauged the Mayweather-Pacquiao negotiations as well.

Fans can only hope that the Mares and Donaire camps learn from the immense letdown of Mayweather and Pacquiao never coming to terms to fight and do the right thing and give the boxing world what is sure to be an all-out brawl between Mares and Doniare sometime in the next couple of years

Nonito Donaire vs. Abner Mares is a fight that boxing fans have wanted to see for quite some time now. It's a great matchup between two talented fighters that's almost guaranteed to be a great action fight. 

However, due to the ongoing Cold War between promoters Golden Boy and Top Rank, the fight has yet to come to fruition. 

A couple of days ago, Golden Boy, via Boxingscene.com, released a copy of this contract, which specifies everything from gloves to meal stipends to airfare. In other words, it's a legitimate legal document that's offering Top Rank $3 million for the services of Donaire for just this one fight. 

It puts Top Rank and Donaire in a tough position, especially if they don't want the fight. 

If they turn the fight down, Golden Boy and Mares now have the ability to say that they sent a real, big-money offer to Top Rank—an offer that was even hand signed by Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer, only to have it rejected for seemingly no reason. 

There's no fight out there for Donaire that will make him even close to the amount that he'll make fighting Mares. And it's a fight that—if it's staged in California—will draw considerable public interest and a large live gate as well, further increasing its lucrativeness. 

So, with a contract in place and with Donaire and Top Rank looking like they'll rebuff once again, the question has to be asked: Is Donaire afraid of Mares? 

Why else would he and Top Rank turn down such a big offer? 

I think that on a personal level, a fighter-to-fighter level, Donaire isn't afraid of Mares. Mares is a terrific fighter, but Donaire has tons of experience and has been up against top fighters before. It's unlikely for this reason that he fears Mares. 

What's more likely the case is that it's a combo of Bob Arum not wanting to do business with Golden Boy and his fear that Donaire—one of his biggest-money fighters—could potentially lose and cost him a lot of money down the line. 

A lot of Top Rank's top-earning boxers have lost recently, such as Manny Pacquiao, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, and Juan Manuel Lopez, just to name a few. Arum probably is afraid to risk another top fighter of his losing, which would hurt his earning potential. 

Hopefully, they'll come to their senses and make the fight.

But as we've seen in boxing, what makes sense for the fans isn't always necessarily the choice that the promoters ultimately make. 

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In just the second flyweight championship match in company history, Demetrious Johnson defeated John Dodson to retain the title at UFC on Fox 6 Saturday night. 

Johnson has been one of the most intriguing fighters in UFC since moving to the company after WEC folded in 2010. He started out fighting at 135 pounds, where he had great success right out of the gate. 

In his first two fights with UFC, Johnson defeated Norifumi Yamamoto at UFC 126 and Miguel Torres at UFC 130. Those victories earned him a bantamweight championship match against Dominick Cruz. 

Like so many fighters before him, Johnson had no answer for Cruz and lost a one-sided unanimous decision. What could have been a deflating moment was actually turned into an opportunity, as Johnson dropped 10 pounds to fight in the new flyweight division. 

UFC held a four-man tournament to determine the first flyweight champion in company history, with Johnson, Ian McCall, Joseph Benavidez and Yasuhiro Urushitani participating. 

Johnson and McCall fought to a draw in their semifinal bout, prompting an immediate rematch. After winning that fight, Johnson took on Benavidez in the first UFC flyweight championship match at UFC 152, winning via split decision. 

Now, by defeating Dodson in a championship fight on national television, Johnson has helped to raise his profile and that of the entire UFC flyweight division. It is still in the embryonic stages and needs all the exposure it can get so it can start being in the main event of pay-per-view shows. 

Regardless of what happens to the division, Johnson has proven to be at the head of the class in UFC. He is starting to build a strong resume that can make him a star in the eyes of the UFC audience. 

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Boxing fans can begin cheering. A very exciting encounter is around the corner. Nonito Donaire and Guillermo Rigondeaux are now scheduled to meet on April 27 in the fight capital of the world. This fight is guaranteed to be electrifying and is a beautiful treat for frustrated boxing aficionados.

Top Rank has brought the first clash of superstars to this year's calendar. This is an excellent challenge between two very well-rounded and thrilling fighters. Donaire impressed beyond measure as the HBO headliner last December in his dismantling of the quintessential fan favourite, Jorge Arce. The Cuban, Rigondeaux, had his chance to showcase his superlative skills on the co-main event, thwarted by a last minute pullout by his opponent.

This bout will pit two of the sport's greatest rising superstars against one another. This is today's generation's Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather that their predecessors never managed to elicit. Eternal glory, superstardom, elite pound-for-pound rankings are at stake along with the WBA, WBO and Ring Magazine titles in this 122-pound clash.

Donaire is 31-1 with 20 knockouts. He is the current king of the uber-competitive Super Bantamweight division. The possessor of furious knockout power and unbelievable quickness, he is the complete package. He is fan-friendly with controlled aggression and sublime technique, and is a purer boxer than his esteemed countryman, Manny Pacquiao.

The now 30-year-old burst on to the scene in 2007 when he knocked out, then 28-0, Vic Darchinyan; the "The Filipino Flash" has embraced stardom since. This epic encounter at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas will be the most heavily promoted contest to date for the fast-rising phenom. It will be the forum for him to answer if he is the next big thing in boxing. His opponent is worthy of the hype behind this showdown.

Guillermo Rigondeaux is an amateur boxing icon. The 2000 and 2004 Olympic gold medalist is now 11-0 as pro. In his last bout, he deflated some of his own mystique with a curiously pedestrian performance, but was still overtly dominant. "El Chacal" seemed content to simply do enough to win a decision and never really pressed the action.  It did give critics reason to murmur and cause supporters to slightly doubt, yet he became the full WBA champion as a result of the unanimous decision win.

This will be the most difficult professional test for the Cuban sensation. He has yet to face any foe of merit in the professional ranks and has proven he can easily outclass B and C level challengers. At 32 years old, it is time for him to step up in competition. Impressively, he has accepted a big jump in class and a win will cause an explosion in the boxing world. Furthermore, it will answer if he is the real deal or not.

Rigondeaux has the speed, technique and pedigree to be a legend. While he might be the greatest technical fighter in the universe, he has never met a proven champion like Donaire, and while Donaire has defeated big names in boxing, he has never faced off against such a perfect boxing machine as Guillermo before. Any advantage in power that Donaire might have could be offset by the Cuban's athleticism, boxing I.Q., counter-punching  and slick defense. One could submit for debate, based on achievements and analyses, that these two are better than Mayweather and Pacquiao ever were.

While the sporting world would still greatly benefit from witnessing a Pac-Man-Mayweather bout, it is less relevant now than it once was. They remain Hall of Famers and truly great champions but Manny is now 34 and has lost two in a row; his last knockout was in 2009. Floyd is 36 next month. He continues to taint his illustrious legacy by spending his final years fighting weak competition.Today, in 2013, the better fight is the one in April than any theoretical blockbuster between two great fighters; the torch has been passed.

The Nonito Donaire-Guillermo Rigondeaux showdown is is arguably the biggest blockbuster available in boxing today. Ring Magazine ranks Donaire as No. 3 pound-for-pound and has Rigondeaux as the division's No. 1 contender. This clearly surpasses  fighters who have yet to sign for a fight this year—Canelo Alvarez, Yuriorkis Gamboa, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao—and is more intriguing than the scheduled fights for Andre Ward post-surgery (Kelly Pavlik), Sergio Martinez (Martin Murray) and Adrien Broner (Gavin Rees).

Either fighter will also have a great test in the division's other champion, Abner Mares. Excitingly, there is Gary Russell Jr.,who is billed as a blue-chip prospect, waiting at 126.  Hopefully, there will be at least a trilogy here between these two cavaliers and additional blockbuster fights with Mares and Russell. Boxing could be on the precipice of a watershed era tantamount to: Hagler, Hearns, Sugar and Duran.

Boxing's future is bright with stars like these two who are actually willing to make the big fights happen! As the wall at Kronk gym expounds, "The greater the sacrifice, the greater the reward."

These two are boxing's best bet to become the next pay-per-view kings and legends of the sport. Credit both of them for taking this fight as it is dangerous for both. Prepare yourself to witness two artists that are renowned masters in their skill. This transcends Manning-Brady, Federer-Nadal, Kobe-Lebron; this is boxing. April 27, 2013 will be etched in sporting lore forever.

As 2012 draws to a close, Nonito Donaire is the runaway favorite to garner Fighter of the Year honors from publications like The Ring and among the community of online boxing writers.  

Juan Manuel Marquez's stunning knockout of Manny Pacquiao on December 8 will get him in the conversation. Adrien Broner's continued emergence as a pound-for-pound star and his successful dismantling of Antonio Demarco after moving up to lightweight might earn him some nods.

I wouldn't even be shocked to see some mentions for 2011 winner Andre Ward, or for Abner Mares or flyweight kingpin Brian Viloria.

But my own choice will be Donaire, and I expect this vote will place me in a sizable majority.

Donaire fought four times in 2012, and all of his opponents were world-class, top five to 10-level talent.

In February, he took on Wilfredo Vazquez, Jr. for the vacant WBO junior featherweight title in his first fight at 122 pounds. Although the official verdict was a split decision, the judge who had Vazquez winning should be removed from duty. Donaire knocked Vazquez down in the ninth round and controlled virtually every round of the fight.

In July, Donaire fought a unification bout with IBF champion Jeffrey Mathebula. Given up nearly half a foot in height, Donaire again cruised to an easy victory, dropping Mathebula in the fourth and eventually capturing a unanimous decision.

Donaire's October fight against Japan's Toshiaki Nishioka was expected to be his toughest fight in years. Instead, it gave Donaire an opportunity to once more demonstrate why most people have him at, or near, the pound-for-pound top five. He knocked down Nishioka in the sixth and finished him in the ninth.

Then, on December 15, Donaire closed out the year by meeting four-division world champion and future Hall of Famer Jorce Arce. A slightly smaller fighter, Arce's aggressive style seemed almost designed to highlight Donaire's explosive counterpunching abilities. He KOd the Mexican legend in three. 

Donaire is among the most naturally gifted fighters in the world, but signing up for 48 rounds against that kind of quality within one year's time requires a degree of professional focus that marks the truly elite.   

Still just 30, Donaire is poised to become one of the sport's true international stars during the next couple of years. But unlike his fellow countryman, Manny Pacquiao, the slender Donaire seems unlikely to rise above the 126 to 130-pound range.

And achieving true superstar status is always going to be more difficult for a smaller fighter. That's why, in the quest to build Nonito Donaire into a pay-per-view-type attraction, Top Rank boss Bob Arum is going to need to take some risks and match up Donaire against the toughest competition possible.

Donaire is going to enter 2013 as the recognized Fighter of the Year for 2012. But to keep his momentum going, there is one fight that he absolutely needs to make during the first quarter of the year: Guillermo Rigondeaux of Cuba.

A two-time Olympic gold medalist and one of the most decorated amateur boxers in history, Rigondeaux has made a huge impact in the pro game in a short amount of time. Since turning professional in May of 2009, he has gone undefeated in 11 fights, winning eight by knockout.

Normally, you would never hear a fighter with less than a dozen professional fights mentioned as a must-see opponent for a champion with Donaire's resume.

But Rigondeaux is not your average fighter. Not even remotely.

Last January, Rigondeaux captured the WBA world title in just his ninth fight, when he pounded the previously undefeated Rico Ramos and stopped him in six. In June, he stopped Teon Kennedy in five.

Ramos and Kennedy might never end up getting enshrined in Canestota, but they were both very talented and well thought of prospects. Guillermo's easy handling of them was unprecedented, and it has gotten hardcore boxing fans anxious to see more.  

Everybody knows how good Donaire is. Nobody can know for sure how good Rigondeaux is yet, but is seems clear that the only way to find out is going to be to have him fight an elite talent like Donaire.

Since both fighters are signed with Top Rank, it's a win-win match up for Bob Arum. Donaire continues to emerge as one of the sport's biggest stars, but he needs another big-name opponent to keep his standing high among hardcore fans.  

Rigondeaux is already a darling among the boxing faithful, but he hasn't had time to build up his name recognition among the more casual crowd. A high-profile tilt with Donaire propels him to the next level.

Donaire would be the favorite, but it would almost certainly be a tougher night for him than he saw during 2012. Potentially, we could be looking at the start of boxing's next great rivalry, the new generation's version of Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera.

There is, of course, a third wheel that needs to be mentioned in any discussion about the 122-pound division. WBC champion Abner Mares had a pretty terrific 2012 too, and has pushed himself onto a lot of pound-for-pound top 10 lists.

Ideally, all three of these great fighters would have at it in 2013, round-robbin style. Unfortunately, Mares is signed with rival Golden Boys. That doesn't make a fight with Donaire impossible, but much more difficult to arrange.

In the meantime, the Filipino Flash should stay busy with Guillermo Rigondeaux.