Family affair
By Joaquin Henson
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 14 Dec 2021
It was like a family get-together for the Donaires at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson City, Los Angeles Country, last Saturday night. WBC bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire, Jr.’s father Dodong worked in his corner as cutman. In the dressing room before the fight against challenger Reymart Gaballo, the father wrapped his son’s hands with bandages preparatory to putting on the gloves. Also in Donaire’s corner was wife Rachel who serves as his head trainer, co-strategist and manager. At ringside were Donaire’s in-laws Gerry and Becky Marcial with his sons Jarel, 8 and Logan, 6.
Donaire said during the fight, he heard his two boys screaming “body shot, body shot” and listened to their advice. It was a left hook to the liver that brought Gaballo down in the fourth round. Gaballo tried to get up at the count of eight then dropped back to a knee to signal he'd had enough. His sons climbed the ring to be with their father to enjoy the victory when it was all over.
No doubt, Donaire is a family man. He dotes on Rachel and their boys. That bond keeps him strong, focused and dedicated to building a bright future for his family. He talks strategy with Rachel and together, they conceptualize a fightplan that he executes in the ring. It’s this devotion to family that brought Donaire to back out from his duel with JohnRiel Casimero who disrespected his wife and to console Gaballo in offering to help in achieving his dream to become a world champion someday. Donaire is also a picture of discipline. No fighter in history has dropped down two weight classes to win a world title except the Filipino Flash. Donaire defied the adage that as you get older, you get bigger because it’s what happens to a body naturally. Donaire figured that his power was optimal at bantamweight, not at featherweight and to continue fighting at a high level, he went from the 126-pound division to 118.
Before Friday’s weigh-in, Donaire said he scaled 116. He hydrated and tipped in at 117.2 as his official weight. Donaire said he could easily fight in the 115-pound superflyweight class and he’s not kidding. His promoter Richard Schaefer said Donaire will go wherever the big money is. Schaefer, a former banker from Switzerland, used to be Golden Boy’s CEO and recently formed the promotions outfit Probellum. He used to own another promotions group RingStar. Donaire’s uncanny ability to adapt opens doors to arrange fights from 115 to 122. And as Donaire himself said, he’ll fight anyone whom Schaefer brings to the table.
Dignity Health Sports Park is a familiar venue to Donaire. Last Saturday’s encounter was his fifth in the open-air arena. It used to be called the Home Depot Center and Stub Hub Center. That’s where Donaire beat Jeffrey Mathebula and Toshiaki Nishioka in 2012, lost to Nicholas Walters in 2014 and dethroned Nordine Oubaali last May. Donaire has fought in eight different countries, including the Philippines where he last performed in Cebu in 2016. In the US, he has seen action in 10 cities in California, three cities in Texas and Nevada, twice in New York City and Connecticut and once in Louisiana. Donaire has pulled in crowds in Guam, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Puerto Rico, Japan and Macau. He couldn’t care less where he fights and that confidence comes from a strong family affiliation.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Joaquin Henson.
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