DONAIRE SAYS IT'S NOW OR NEVER AS A SUPER FLYWEIGHT
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 13 Feb 2010
WBA Interim champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire says “it's now or never” for fights against WBC/WBA champion Vic Darchinyan or WBO champion Jorge Arce because he “can’t keep up this weight class for a long time.”
Donaire told a conference call from the Top Rank Office Thursday that “in order for me to get to the potential I want to reach which is featherweight and maybe junior lightweight. Because boxing has a short lifespan and in order for me to get there I need to take the right moves to get there and waiting is not going to get me there.”
Donaire made the comments even as he struggled to make the 115 pound limit for the official weigh-in on Friday 4:00 p.m. at the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel and has been dieting all week.
He said “I’m in that point where my body is really ready for the heavier weight class and I can move up right now.”
Reacting to the nasty comments of Vic Darchinyan whom Donaire knocked out in five rounds to grab both the IBF and IBO world flyweight titles and the cocky Australian’s challenge hurled to him, Donaire said “I want the fight to happen but it's come to a point where they play the game so much that it's disrespecting boxing and disrespecting all the guys who come into that ring. It's hard to give respect to somebody like that.”
Donaire described Darchinyan as “a little Chihuahua dog. He always keeps barking, barking.”
Indications are that Donaire who beat Darchinyan in their first meeting in July 2007 will not fight Darchinyan and plans to move up in weight and perhaps face WBO bantamweight champion Fernando Montiel, the current WBO 118 pound champion.
Donaire said “we’ve both talked about fighting each other” and pointed out “we have a good relationship and there's no disrespect, but we are both eager to fight each other.”
Meantime, the replacement for Donaire’s original opponent Gerson Guerrero who was prevented from fighting by the Nevada State Athletic Commission after he was found to have a tear in the retina of his right eye – Manuel “Chango” Vargas arrived Thursday night in Las Vegas after his medical tests insane Diego earlier in the day.
Bob Arum indicated Vargas “is no pushover . He’ll give Donaire all he can handle.”
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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