Exclusive: Richard Schaefer: “Ryan Burnett Made A Huge Mistake” Picking Nonito Donaire As WBSS Opponent

With one of the biggest fights in the first round of the second season of the World Boxing Super Series is Ryan Burnett vs. Nonito Donaire and promoter Richard Schaefer gives his take on the fight. 

Schaefer, Donaire’s promoter and founder of Ringstar Sports, talked to Fightful on a myriad of topics, including Donaire competing in the World Boxing Super Series. Even though Donaire is facing the top-seeded Burnett later this year, Schaefer calls the British boxer’s decision of selecting Donaire as his opponent back in the draft gala in July a big mistake. Schaefer explained that Donaire is returning to a weight class he is more comfortable in compared to his featherweight loss to Carl Frampton in April and that Burnett may be underestimating him.  

“I looked at the draw and I think Ryan Burnett made a huge mistake. Burnett was seeded No. 1 and he could have picked anybody from the field and he picked Nonito Donaire. He might have picked Nonito Donaire based on the last fight agaisnt Frampton, which was a hell of a fight, but Donaire couldn’t hurt Frampton who is two weight classes above him. I think Burnett made a huge mistake. I’m telling you this now, Nonito Donaire at 118 pounds, will knock out people. When you look at the face-off they had at the draft gala for the tournament, you know what I see? I see how much bigger Donaire is. Now Donaire is going to fight smaller guys,” Schaefer said.

The second season of the World Boxing Super Series’ bantamweight tournament is full of top boxers in the division, including WBA “regular” bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue who is the No. 2 seed in the 118-pound tournament. 

When asked if he would have preferred seeing Donaire face off against Inoue, the tournament favorite by many in the boxing community, in the first round, Schaefer said he would have loved to see that fight as well. Should Donaire and Inoue win their quarterfinal and semifinal matches, they will meet in the finals which could potentially crown a unified WBA, WBO and IBF bantamweight champion.

“Oh that would have been a great fight as well for Donaire because Inoue is an even smaller guy that Burnett. Donaire would have clearly been the bigger guy against Inoue, but that would have been a great fight as well. Then if Inoue wins and Donaire wins, those two are fighting each other, but if Burnett wins, if you look at the fighters in the tournament, you’ll see that there are no bad fights. There’s only good fights in this tournament,” Schaefer said.

Donaire’s title fight against Burnett will take place on November 3 in Glasgow, Scotland where Donaire could win a bantamweight world title for the first time since 2011.