DONAIRE HURTS SPARRING PARTNER
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 04 Mar 2015
Nonito ?The Filipino Flash? Donaire, the five division world champion hurt his sparring partner Jonel Alibio during four rounds of sparring at the ALA Gym along Balete Drive in Quezon City on Tuesday before easing up in a three-round session with Vergel Puton.
Donaire and Alibio, a lightweight and former Oriental Pacific Boxing Federation featherweight champion engaged in several torrid exchanges in a ring that was small, gave Donaire hardly any room to maneuver and allowed Alibio to be in his face all the time.
In a torrid sequence late in the fourth round, Donaire ripped several punches to the body and head of Alibio who winced at the onslaught but refused to show he was hurt.
However, in an interview with the Manila Standard/Viva Sports after the sparring session Alibio said Nonito was ?fast and strong and will surely be a world champion again.?
He said Donaire ?caught me on the chest with a big punch and it pains up to now and I think it will hurt until tomorrow. He is really strong. I gave it all I had but he is really good. He is a world caliber fighter.?
Donaire was obviously a little bothered by the heat as he beat back the jetlag since his arrival on Monday which was followed by a series of appearances on the giant broadcast network ABS-CBN and a luncheon press conference.
Donaire told the Standard ?I had really good sparring with those guys. They are tough and they are bigger. I came out there and had a good first session knowing that it was hot and really affected me. Plus all the travel, and the ring was really small so they were constantly in front of me so I had to push myself which was really good. It showed where my stamina was I could have gone more but there was no sense. I knew exactly where my stamina is and there?s no point in a small ring where I can receive punches and get beat up unlike a bigger ring where I can move and avoid all of them.?
He said ?I?m ready for 12 rounds. I?m really happy with it.
Donaire praised his two sparring partners pointing out ?these guys are very humble good guys, very nice. We had a good session today? and with Alibio we were ?slugging it out like it was a fight.?
He said he has known Alibio ?for sometime and he is a really good person, very helpful.?
Donaire indicated he was looking forward ?to more sparring in Cebu at the ALA Gym with a bigger ring where we can use the strategy we are working on. Its tough in a smaller ring counter punching and moving around you?ll get trapped like a rat.?
Nonito?s father/trainer ?Dodong? Donaire was pleased over what he described as ?a really good session but because of the small ring Alibio pushed him against the ropes.?
He too noticed that towards the end of round four when Nonito caught Alibio with a terrific four-punch combination ?I saw he got hurt but he?s strong and didn?t show he was hurt.?
The father/trainer was confident Nonito ?will get in shape very fast because its hotter over in Cebu? where they will continue training for two weeks beginning Friday.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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