MASAM SPORTS 4: NONITO DONAIRE WANTS TO FACE THE WINNER OF JUAN FRANCISCO ESTRADA VS. ROMAN "CHOCOLATITO" GONZALEZ TRILOGY
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 08 Jan 2022
Nonito Donaire (42-6, 28 KOs) has been pursuing a rematch with Japanese star WBA and IBF bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue. But if he cannot sign a deal for the awaited rematch with "The Monster" Inoue, then “The Filipino Flash” has an alternative plan.
He will reduce three pounds to face the winner of the coming trilogy between archrivals Juan Francisco Estrada (42-3, 28 KOs) and Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez (50-3, 41 KOs). Donaire aired his interest in facing the Estrada-Gonzalez winner during a recent guesting on the podcast “Boxing With Chris Mannix”.
The third encounter of the two protagonists will be on March 5, 2022 at the Pechanga Arena, San Diego, California, U.S. where Estrada will defend his WBA (Super) and The Ring super flyweight titles.
“I would love to,” Donaire said. “I would love to. I’m putting myself out there, in that mix with ‘Chocolatito’ and Estrada. … That would be great. I am all for it. I’m all for it.”
The last time Donaire fought at the super flyweight division was on July 10, 2010, when he stopped Hernan Marquez in the eighth round at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum, San Juan, Puerto Rico where he retained his WBA interim super flyweight title. Twelve long years have passed and he is willing to comeback at super flyweight.
Donaire went down to the bantamweight limit of 118 pounds, two divisions lower from the featherweight maximum weight of 126 lbs, after suffering a 12-round, unanimous decision loss to Carl Frampton on April 21, 2018 at the SSE Arena, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
“Making the weight is just such a simple thing for me,” Donaire said. “I mean, I could go down to 115 if I want to, you know, and still feel really strong. When I fought Inoue, I was actually 116, so I had to [drink] a couple more [waters], a few waters, to get up to 117, just a little bit below 118. So 116, you know, is right around the corner of 115.”
Donaire is fresh from a fourth round knockout victory over then undefeated compatriot Reymart Gaballo (24-1, 20 KOs) on December 11, 2021 at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. He really likes to face Inoue again, but if it will not happen, the Las Vegas based four-division champion considers the Estrada-Gonzalez winner as another choice.
Estrada and Gonzalez did a super thriller of a match in their 12 rounds of non-stop fight that fans cheered and enjoyed from beginning to end. These two future Hall of Famers first clashed on November 17, 2012, and Gonzalez won a unanimous decision at the Sports Arena, Los Angeles, California, U.S. for WBA light flyweight title.
The rematch was over eight years in the making, and second fight happened on March 13, 2021 at the American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas, U.S. Both super fighters showed their great talents with Estrada winning with a 12 round split decision. Estrada defended his WBC and The Ring super flyweight titles and captured Gonzalez's WBA (Super) super flyweight title.
Gonzalez, age 34 from Managua, Nicaragua will fight for the first time in a full year. Estrada, age 31 from Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, Mexico, is also raring to climb back the ring after 12 months of inactivity.
Estrada has won his last six fights since losing by majority decision to Srisaket Sor Rungvisai on February 24, 2018. Estrada avenged the loss to Sor Rungvisai by defeating him 14 months later on April 26, 2019 by unanimous decision with both of their fights held at The Forum in Inglewood, California.
Estrada is a two-weight world champion, The Ring and the WBA (Super) super flyweight current champion and previously held the WBA (Unified) and WBO flyweight titles and the WBC super flyweight title. He defeated famous opponents Brian Viloria, Giovani Segura, Hernan "Tyson" Marquez, and Carlos Cuadras (twice).
Gonzalez lost back-to-back fights to Sor Rungvisai in 2017. But his career was revived when he stopped Moises Fuentes and Diomel Diocos in successive fights. Gonzalez dethroned then-WBA junior bantamweight titleholder Khalid Yafai in February 29, 2020 by a ninth-round knockout.
"Chocolatito" made a successful defense of the WBA title on October 23, 2020, defeating Mexico’s Israel Gonzalez by unanimous decision. He now trains in Indio, California and has won world titles in all four of the lowest weight classes - minimumweight, light flyweight, flyweight, and super flyweight.
Donaire vs. Estrada or Donaire vs. Gonzalez will truly be one hell of a great fight.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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