Irish manager Gary Hyde will be in Los Angeles over the next four weeks, and among his goals is to land an October fight for junior featherweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux.

Although Rigondeaux (12-0, 8 KOs) earned the RING, WBA and WBO titles with an HBO-televised unanimous decision over Nonito Donaire in April, Hyde said it has been difficult to find him an opponent. Rigondeaux is promoted by Top Rank.

“We are looking at an October date for sure, and we’re just looking for the right spot for him right now. He’s the unified champion, but the WBA has said that they’re not going to push for him to make a mandatory defense, and he’s quite entitled to make a voluntary defense of the WBO belt, because he just won it,” said Hyde of Rigondeaux, a two-time Cuban Olympic gold medalist.

“So he wants to fight all of the top guys, but there is no one out there who wants to fight him. Carl Frampton doesn’t want to fight him. Scotty Quigg doesn’t want to fight him. So we’re just looking for any opponent that the crowd would like and that the public would like and that HBO would like, but there is nobody stepping up. I’ve heard that Joseph Agbeko wants to fight him, but that’s only all talk. Right now, we’re not close to tying anyone up.”

Although Hyde had expressed during one recent interview, the notion of having Rigondeaux, a Miami resident, make an appearance on Miguel Cotto’s Oct. 5 return to the ring, either in Miami or Orlando.

Although Top Rank CEO Bob Arum acknowledged that Rigondeaux might be a consideration for the Cotto card, he declined to spectulate, adding that Top Rank President Todd duBoef is handling the logistics of that show.

Would Rigondeaux like a rematch with Donaire?

“Of course, but I don’t think that he would take it. Would you?” said Hyde. “I mean, the next time, it would be easier, because Rigondeaux knows every piece of information on Donaire. Donaire would not have a chance ever again of beating Rigondeaux.”

Hyde also manages unbeaten junior welterweight Levan Ghvamichava (10-0, 8 KOs), of Miami, and junior lightweight Iain Weaver (1-0), of the United Kingdom. Ghvamichava, who signed with Top Rank last month, will next face Alberto Herrera on Saturday.

Photo by Naoki Fukuda

Lem Satterfield can be reached at [email protected]