MANILA, Philippines – World super bantamweight champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire has not given up on a potential showdown will fellow title-holder Abner Mares of Mexico even after initial negotiations between the two camps fell apart.

Donaire, who will face unbeaten Cuban Guillermo Rigondeaux on April in New York, told Tha Boxing Voice that he still hopes to fight the Mexican Mares.

“I know Mares wants to fight me, and he knows I want to fight him,” Donaire said in an interview with Victor Salazar. “The fans are the ones that are suffering and are the ones that are getting the bad end of it.”

“At this time, as long as me and Mares keep pushing it, we’re hoping that it will happen.”

The two camps briefly engaged in negotiations earlier this year, but talks quickly fell apart when Mares’ promoter, Golden Boy, offered Top Rank $3 million for Donaire’s services.

Golden Boy sent a contract to Top Rank, but the promoters, along with Donaire and his manager Cameron Dunkin, were not satisfied with the terms of the deal.

“Did you read the contract? If I do fight him, in the contract it states that they could postpone the fight without penalty and what am I supposed to do, sit down for nine months?” Donaire said.

Dunkin, for his part, said the contract lacked too many details.

“There was no site, no network in the contract. They put $3 million in there, but other than the money, they said the fight would take place before June 30th and they said at anytime, they could cancel the fight up to two weeks before, and there would be nothing paid to either fighter,” he said. “I would never sign that contract.”

But both Donaire and Dunkin stressed that they are willing to negotiate with Golden Boy and Team Mares. They are hopeful that Top Rank will be open to working with their rivals as well.

“There were a lot of things that weren’t in the contract, and Golden Boy has to get with Top Rank, Nonito’s promoter, and he’s got to work all the stuff out before moving forward,” Dunkin said.

“I have no problem with Golden Boy at all. It’s between the promoters. If they can be worked out and they can do it, my fighters gain to fight,” he added.

“With me and Mares, it’s the promoters that are playing the high power part,” Donaire said. “To me Mares is one of the guys I set my eyes, and when I set my eyes on a guy, I usually want to fight him and I get to fight him.”