DONAIRE ANXIOUS TO FIGHT
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 07 Sep 2008
The comparatively long break since his first successful title defense has IBF flyweight champion Nonito ?The Filipino Flash? Donaire anxious to get get back into the ring and fight.
Donaire?s chance comes on November 1 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California when he faces mandatory challenger Moruti Mthalane of South Africa who earned the title shot by scoring a lopsided unanimous twelve round decision over Hussein Hussein of Australia.
In an overseas telephone conversation with www.insidesports.ph, Donaire said ?I haven?t been sparring or doing anything for almost a year and I want to shake all that off so when I get into the ring I?m going to do my best, give it all because that?s all I really know how to do.?
Well-known South African promoter Branco Milenkovic who handles Mthalane wanted to stage the fight in his hometown but lost the bid to Top Rank Promotions of Bob Arum who signed up Donaire a couple of months ago.
Milenkovic said Mthalane was ready to go anywhere to fight Donaire.
Donaire has begun training at the Top Rank gym and said after his workout on Friday that he was feeling like a beast.
Donaire won the title with a spectacular one-punch knockout of Australia?s Vic Darchinyan on July 7, 2007 and then defended it successfully with an impressive eighth round TKO over Mexican Luis Maldonado on December 1 last year.
Donaire said that after the Mthalane title defense that he definitely wants to move up to super flyweight and ?fight anybody, I don?t care who it is.?
Promoter Bob Arum has talked about a possible fight with Jorge Arce while the name of WBO super flyweight champion Fernando Montiel has also been mentioned as a worthy opponent of Donaire although there have been speculations that Montiel is having a hard time making the weight and plans to move up to the bantamweight division.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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