Boxing Notebook: Darchinyan-Donaire bout nearly done

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Promoters Bob Arum and Gary Shaw are close to finalizing the deal that will bring an anticipated world super-flyweight title fight to Carson’s Home Depot Center Aug. 21 between champion Vic Darchinyan and Nonito Donaire.

Donaire stopped Darchinyan in the fifth round of a 2007 bout in Connecticut, and the verbal fireworks for a rematch have been intense since. Darchinyan (34-2-1, 27 KOs) is coming off a spirited bout against Mexico’s Rodrigo Guerrero, which Darchinyan won by decision, and he’ll fight again May 20 in Australia against Richard Garcia.

Arum said the deal may be completed by this weekend.

-- What’s it like for Arum to be out of action this weekend as the Floyd Mayweather-Shane Mosley fight takes place at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, down the street from his Top Rank offices?

It’ll be something similar to how it’ll be next week when he visits Manny Pacquiao in the final days of the boxer’s campaign for a congressional seat.

Arum, as a foreigner, is barred from speaking at Pacquiao’s campaign rallies and from participating in interviews with Filipino reporters about the May 10 election.

The ever-talkative Arum on mute? Has to be torture.

‘No, because as a foreigner I’m not allowed to contribute to Manny’s campaign, either,’ Arum said. ‘That’s the trade-off.’

Some suspect the reason Pacquiao wants Arum to merely sit in at campaign stops is to symbolize the boxer’s interest in returning to the ring even if he’s elected.

‘My feeling, based on conversations with others, is that he will definitely continue his boxing career win or lose in the election,’ Arum said.

-- Arum, an unapologetic liberal, said he plans to continue to stage a fight card in Arizona July 17 despite the state’s controversial movement toward a strong immigration law.

The Top Rank card, at an Indian casino in Chandler, Ariz., will feature rising star Jose Benavidez Jr. of Phoenix.

Arum said it was premature to respond to the Arizona law as WBC leader Jose Sulaiman did Thursday, saying he would not authorize Mexican fighters to leave their country to fight in Arizona.

‘Who is Sulaiman, the king of Mexico now?’ one boxing veteran asked.

Arum said he urged Sulaiman to read the law, and said he would monitor events, but still intended to move forward with the event.

Norm Frauenheim of 15rounds.com addressed the issue in a good Thursday story.

-- Golden Boy Promotions will stage a news conference Saturday to announce a rematch of the 2009 fight of the year between Juan Manuel Marquez and Juan Diaz on July 31. [Updated 11:07 a.m.: The fight is expected to take place in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.]

-- Lance Pugmire