DONAIRE HAS A TOUGH FIGHT AHEAD OF HIM ON “PINOY POWER III”
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 07 Feb 2010
Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire (22-1, 14 ko'S) has a tough fight ahead of him against hard-hitting Mexican Gerson Guerrero in the main event of “Pinoy Power III/Latin Fury 13” at the Las Vegas Hilton on Valentine’s Day (Manila Time.)
Donaire, the WBA Interim super flyweight champion is determined to gift the Filipino people with a performance that would showcase the reality that everything is coming up roses for the fighter that is acknowledged as the next big thing to “Fighter of the Decade” Manny Pacquiao who is in a class of his own.
His fight against Guerrero may well define Donaire’s near future with plans afoot for a rematch with loud-mouthed Vic Darchinyan whose mouth was effectively shut the first time they met when Donaire, in a flash, caught him with a cracking left hook that sent Darchinyan reeling across the ring and out of it on July 7, 2007.
Donaire’s trainer and former world champion Robert Garcia whose fighters IBF champion Brian Viloria and WBO featherweight champion Steven Luevano suffered painful defeats two weeks ago expects Donaire to also face a serious challenge in a fight card to be telecast in the Philippines by the giant broadcast network ABS-CBN on its pre-eminent Channel 2 at 10:30 a.m. with replays on Studio 23 at 8:00 p.m. and Channel 2 at 11:15 p.m. on Sunday.
In an interview with Dennis Guillermo of Examiner.com, Garcia who only recently joined the Donaire camp said Guerrero is “a very tough fighter. He’s very strong” pointing out that “after you throw a punch at him you have to move away or move to the side and not stay in front of him because he throws one or two hard punches after he comes in.”
Garcia effectively cautioned Donaire that if he stays in front of Guerrero “then you’re in danger with Guerrero.” However, Garcia told Guillermo that if Donaire “fights a smart fight and goes in and out and moves side to side, then I think Nonito should shine in this fight.”
When we spoke to Donaire last Friday after he had cleared his initial medical tests without a problem, he said he was around seven pounds over the super flyweight limit and had to cut down on his eating which made him feel a little weak. But he said the moment he is able to eat well after the official weigh-in he should be fine.
Over at the Wild Card Gym, ABS-CBN’s Dyan Castilljo reports that former two division world champion Gerry Penalosa was looking good which echoed the sentiments of Pacquiao’s conditioning coach Alex Ariza who watched Penalosa spar last week with two-time Cuban Olympic gold medalist Guillermo Rigondeaux and said Gerry was aggressive and punching well.
Castillejo quoted Roach as telling her Penalosa’s WBO bantamweight interim title fight against another former champion Eric Morel of Puerto Rico was the Filipino southpaw’s last chance to win a world title which would probably mean fighting the winner of the Fernando Montiel –Ciso “Kid Terrible” Morales title fight on the same card.
Roach who will be in Penalosa’s corner in Las Vegas said should Gerry win the world title he would want him to retire after that as a world champion.
Other Filipinos on the fight card are featherweight Bernabe Concepcion and welterweight Mark Jason Melligen. A win by Concepcion over Mexico’s rugged southpaw Mario Santiago would put him in line for a world title shot while a win by Melligen would help him stay under the Top Rank umbrella.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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