DONAIRE CHALLENGES JAPANESE CHAMPIONS TO LIVE UP TO THEIR STATUS
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 06 Jun 2008
International Boxing Federation flyweight champion Nonito ?The Filipino Flash? Donaire is challenging Japanese world flyweight champions Daisuke Naito (WBC) and Takefumi Sakata (WBA) to stop avoiding a unification bout with him.
In an overseas telephone conversation with Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today, Donaire said ?if you are a champion, live up to it.?
Donaire who won the IBF title with a smashing fifth round one-punch knockout of Australia?s Vic Darchinyan on July 7 last year and then hammered Mexico?s Luis Maldonado into submission in eight rounds last December 1 has expressed his willingness to fight the Japanese even in their own hometown but there has been no response.
Donaire lamented the fact that instead of accepting his challenge, the two Japanese champions will defend their titles against their countrymen to make sure the world crowns remain in Japanese hands.
Naito (32-2-3, 20 KO?s) who trained for one week at the famed ALA Gym of respected boxing patron Tony Aldeguer recently, will defend his title against Tomonobu Shimizu who is not even rated in the top ten and has an unimpressive record of 13-2 with 5 knockouts.
Sakata (32-4-2, 15 KO?s) will put his WBA belt on the line against another Japanese Hiroyuki Hisataka (16-6-1, 5 KO?s) who is ranked No. 3 and is coming off a recent victory over Hussein Hussein although he lost his three previous bouts including one to Filipino Wyndel Janiola.
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