DONAIRE'S POSSIBLE FOES IN 2016
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 20 Dec 2015
When Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire recently won the WBO junior featherweight championship several names cropped up as possible opponents for the new champ this coming 2016.
Former IBF world featherweight champion Evgeny Gradovich wanted to face Donaire. Nicknamed "El Ruso Mexicano," Gradovich is originally from Russia, but now resides in the boxing cradle of Oxnard, California. He is trained by Robert Garcia.
"That would be a big fight. He has a title. He is my friend but in the ring we won't be friends. We can be friends again after. I hope that the fight can be possible in the future," Gradovich was quoted by BoxingScene.
With a record of 20-1-1, he returned from his first career defeat with a split decision victory over Aldimar Santos. In May he lost his IBF title via technical decision to Lee Selby. He will return to the ring on January 9, 2016 with an opponent still to be determined in Valencia, Spain.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is also eyeing a possible fight with the Ukraine-born fighter Vasyl Lomachenko, who carries the WBO world featherweight crown. He was an Olympic gold medalist in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012.
On June 22, 2014, Lomachenko defeated Gary Russell, Jr. via twelve round majority decision to win the vacant WBO featherweight title. In doing so he equaled the feat of Saensak Muangsurin of Thailand as the fastest fighter to win a world title in just his third professional bout. He already successfully defended his crown three times.
But right after his victory in the Fight of the Year candidate over Mexican Cesar Juarez, Donaire wanted to give him a rematch. ?I will definitely give him a rematch,? said Donaire as quoted by spin.ph. ?I?m not taking anything away from him.?
A second encounter with Juarez will surely be a blockbuster. The Mexico City native was not satisfied at how the judges scored the fight. And a lot of experts scored it closer for Donaire.
Another boxer being considered was his last tormentor Nicholas Walters. On October 18, 2014, Donaire lost in the first defense of his WBA (Super) featherweight championship against the undefeated Jamaican, the WBA (Regular) featherweight champion.
?I wanna make the [Walters] fight happen, but I?m not gonna be foolish enough to go up two weight classes or a weight class, where I know the experiences I?ve had in the past have led me to making the right decisions. I?m willing to fight anybody, but it has to be in a fair atmosphere," he was quoted by BoxingScene.
The Filipino Flash has learned his lesson. He should not be complacent in training. After he won the Fighter of the Year Award 2012 in practically all sports awarding bodies, his attitude towards hard work changed. It cost him his title and reputation.
Now he is back at the helm of the junior featherweight division. He must choose properly his next foe. And should not commit the same mistake.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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