SPORTS SHORTS 275: NONITO DONAIRE WANTS UNIFICATION WITH NAOYA INOUE AFTER STOPPING REYMART GABALLO
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 14 Dec 2021
Nonito Donaire called out Japanese unified champion Naoya Inoue right after "The Filipino Flash” defended his WBC bantamweight title by knocking out countryman Reymart Gaballo at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.
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“Me and Naoya have much respect for each other, I believe Richard [Schaefer of Probellum Promotions] is gonna make it happen,” said Donaire after his magnificent fourth-round knockout win over WBC interim bantamweight champion Gaballo to retain his WBC world title belt.
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Donaire lost a very ruthless and fiery fight by unanimous decision to Naoya Inoue in the match regarded as 2019 Fight of the Year. Inoue (21-0, 18 KOs) is the WBA and IBF bantamweight champion and is one of the top pound-for-pound fighters. He fought like vintage Donaire, the 2012 Fighter of the Year in his heyday.
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Donaire is looking forward to another ring date with Inoue next year 2022 for the sake of unifying the titles in the bantamweight division. Inoue will defend his belts against the unrecognized Aran Dipaen on Tuesday, December 14.
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IBF arranged the fight even though Dipaen (12-2, KOs) is only ranked No. 5 contender. The Thai became the IBF Pan Pacific champion when he stopped Sukpraserd Ponpitak in the sixth round. Dipaen is a huge underdog at DraftKings Sportsbook at +1100 while Inoue is a -3000 favorite.
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"It's my team's job to work on the rematch with Nayao Inoue. I believe my team is going to make it happen,” said Donaire.
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Donaire is now under contract with the rising boxing promotion Probellum, which is headed by Richard Schaefer. Inoue is promoted by Top Rank, Donaire’s former outfit. When they tangled in 2019 finals of the World Boxing Super Series tournament, they were signed then by different promotional companies.
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"I have been in this game a long time. We are going for the unified champion of the world," he said.
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Donaire (42-6, 28 KOs) continued to mock father time Saturday night and stopped Gaballo, who is 14 years younger, and idolized him so much.
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Donaire had a slow start on a cold 10-degree Celsius temperature fight night, but raised the level of his fight by hitting an excellent thundering left hook to the liver of Gaballo (24-1, 20 KOs) in the fourth round.
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Gaballo took a knee and got up before the count of ten but was weak enough to again fall on his knee when he tried to stand up and referee Ray Corona stopped the fight with one second left in the round.
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The 39-year-old Donaire climbed the ring as a -300 favorite while the 25-year-old Gaballo was a +290 underdog. Donaire connected 38 punches to Gaballo's 35. Thirteen of the strong blows landed to the body of the challenger, and the most devastating was the final hit to the liver.
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“I've been in this game for such a long time and I've had so many fights, I didn't think I was going to have to feel him out. But he came out differently than I thought he would. He tried to nullify my left hook, but I just had to have no mercy,” said Donaire as quoted by Boxing Scene.
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"My wife and my dad were telling me to go to the body. I had to set it up by bouncing up and down to open up that shot. I was throwing the right hand in the earlier rounds and then he didn't expect the left hook to the body.”
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Donaire’s most lethal weapon has been his devastating left hook in his career, but in the fight he kept using the right hand. In the fourth round, Donaire connected a booming right hand to the body. Then he unleashed his savage left hook, and the single brutal blow ended the title fight.
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"I thought he was going to get up because I know he has a lot of heart, but that was a tremendous punch that landed. I just told him after the fight not to be down. Because he's a great fighter. I had trouble figuring him out and I'm here to help him with anything he needs the rest of his career,” said Donaire.
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Gaballo threw voluminous 170 punches compared to 136 by Donaire. Before the fight, Donaire had fought 293 rounds and faced 18 world champions as compared to 73 rounds and one champion fought by Gaballo.
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Gaballo of Polomolok, South Cotabato fought Emmanuel Rodriguez of Puerto Rico and won a controversial split decision. Gaballo got the favor of John McKaie who scored 115-113 and Don Trella who saw it at 116-112, while Rodriguez won the third card from David Sutherland who had it 118-110.
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Donaire has revived his career at the bantamweight division after fighting at featherweight until 2018. Donaire has held multiple world championships in four weight classes from flyweight, bantamweight, super bantamweight to featherweight will be a sure Hall of Fame fighter.
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Donaire is oldest bantamweight champion in boxing history and improved his record to 13-1 in the said weight class. "I'm able to keep fighting at this age because I just have faith in myself and have a lifestyle that's good for me. There is no such thing as a cheat day. It's a choice day, and it's my choice to train and to be me,” said Donaire.
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"I have no mercy," Donaire said. "He didn't expect the left hook to the body. I had to set it up. That was a very tremendous punch."
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Donaire approached and comforted Gaballo after knocking him out and advised him to not be discouraged after suffering the first loss of his budding boxing career. "I told him 'don't be down'. I told him 'I was having trouble figuring you out,'" said Donaire.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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