FILIPINOS PIN HOPES ON DONAIRE
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 08 Dec 2015
The year 2015 was not a good year for Philippine Boxing when three big fights took place. Manny Pacquiao lost by unanimous decision when he fought Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the richest bout in boxing history.
Brian Viloria was knocked down by new pound-for-pound king Roman "Chocolatito" Gonzalez enroute to a ninth round stoppage. Drian Francisco lost to the running Guillermo Rigondeaux in the Miguel Cotto-Canelo Alvarez undercard.
This time its the turn of Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire (35-3, 23 KO's) who will clash with World Boxing Organization international super bantamweight champion Mexican Cesar Juarez (17-3, 13 KO's) in a fight that Filipinos expected to close the year on a winning note.
The junior featherweight bout is scheduled for 12 rounds and is a co-feature of the main event highlighting undefeated Puerto Rican Felix Verdejo against Brazilian Josenilson Dos Santos for the WBO Latino lightweight title at the Coliseo Roberto Clemente in San Juan, Puerto Rico on December 11, 2015.
?I feel great, my mental aspect is on a different level and helps me prepare for this fight. Its amazing,? Donaire was quoted by Ronnie Natnanielsz of PhilBoxing. "This is the hardest I have trained for a fight . I am more committed and have direction in my training."
?The Filipino Flash? maintained that whether the WBO which stripped Guillermo Rigondeaux of the title or not, ?it doesn?t matter. I am fighting for victory.? With the WBO declaring the title of Rigondeaux vacant, the Donaire-Juarez encounter becomes a world championship fight.
Donaire defeated William Prado of Brazil in round two to win the vacant NABF super bantamweight title at the Araneta Coliseum. Donaire delivered flurry on Prado at the onset of the fight. The fight was stopped in the second round when the Brazilian was defenseless against the former boxer of the year.
Donaire defeated Anthony Settoul of France in two rounds with a technical knockout at The Venetian, Macao. He hopes to recover and become world champion again after devastating losses to Rigondeaux and Nicholas Walters. He is rated No. 3 by The Ring in the junior feathetweight division.
Juarez was a former Mexican superflyweight champion beating countryman Julio Grimaldo by 4th round KO for the title. He lost to fellow Mexican Hugo Partida for the interim WBC FECARBOX superbantamweight title by majority decision. Partida was the same boxer who was knocked out by Albert Pagara in the first round.
In his last fight, he won the vacant WBO international superbantamweight title over Juan Carlos Sanchez, Jr. by 12-round unanimous decision.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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