by Rick Reeno

BoxingScene.com has obtained a copy of the contract that Golden Boy Promotions issued last Friday to Top Rank - offering $3 million dollars for the services of WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire (31-1, 20KOs). Last week, Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer created a wave of headlines when he exclusively advised BoxingScene that he was willing to offer Top Rank a sum of $3 million dollars to secure Donaire for a mega-super bantamweight unification with WBO king Abner Mares (25-0, 13KOs), who Golden Boy promotes.

Golden Boy issued the contract to Top Rank's legal counsel David Moroso, a senior attorney with the Los Angeles-based O'Melveny and Myers.

There have been ongoing discussions between Top Rank's CEO Bob Arum, and Mares' manager Frank Espinoza, but Schaefer wasn't happy with the financial offers being presented for the services of Mares. Arum wants to do the fight, but he doesn't want to take part in a straight co-promotion with Golden Boy.

On Tuesday morning, a report on BoxingScene indicating that a deal was nearly complete for a super bantamweight unification between Donaire and WBA champion Guillermo Rigondeaux. Top Rank promotes both champions and intends to stage the fight on an HBO televised date of April 13th.

Schaefer has no problem with Top Rank's decision to make Donaire vs. Rigondeaux, but he does take offense to some of the information being circulated - which claims Golden Boy never sent a legitimate contract which outlined the details of a Donaire vs. Mares promotion. Schaefer/Mares had already reached an agreement on the terms and the contract issued to Top Rank was fully executed by Golden Boy's side, which in turn binds them to the agreement.

"Donaire stating that this is not a contract is wrong. If he does not want to fight Mares then just say it, if Arum does not want to work with Golden Boy then just say it, if Donaire is not his own boss and can not fight who he wants then just say it. But they should stop making excuses," Schaefer told BoxingScene.com.