DONAIRE ON TOP OF THE WORLD, PROMISES TO GIVE NARVAEZ HIS FIRST LOSS
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 23 Oct 2011
New York, N.Y -- WBC/WBO World Bantamweight Champion Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire (26-1, 18 KO's) was literally on top of the world during a special visit to the 86th floor observation deck of the famed Empire State Building overlooking New York City Thursday afternoon.
Donaire will be the second Filipino to fight at famed Madison Square Garden some 45 years after world junior lightweight champion Gabriel "Flash" Elorde suffered the first knockout of his career at the hands of WBA lightweight champion Carlos Ortiz at the old Madison Square Garden on November 28, 1966.
Donaire,oozing with confidence said he won't suffer the same fate as Elorde and indicated that a knockout "would be most satisfying."
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum belittled efforts to consider Donaire the next Manny Pacquiao, the reigning pound-for-pound king and winner of eight world titles in eight different weight divisions.
The astute promoter who handled such great fighters as Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Oscar De La Hoya and now promotes "Fighter of the Decade" Pacquiao said "every superstar is unique."
He emphasized that Donaire "will forge his own career, his own way and it will be different from Pacquiao or Leonard or anybody else."
Arum said "everybody has to be unique to themselves and there will never be another Manny Pacquiao."
Answering his own question on whether there will be another superstar from the Philippines, Arum said "Yes, but he'll be different from Pacquiao."
Arum said boxing fans are "going to see a very explosive fighter who is technically very proficient who punches like I've never seen a lighter weight guy like him punch and we are going to be entertained because Nonito is a real entertainer."
The Top Rank promoter said they had built him towards his fight with Fernando Montiel where he became a star and "we were crushed when he made efforts to leave. But now that he's back we appreciate him more, we hope he appreciates us and we are going to make him a big, big star and he deserves to be."
In what turned out to be polite exchanges at a news conference today Donaire said "I know that Omar and I will give boxing back its glory days by fighting our hearts out and representing our country. You will see a great fight on Saturday because we have our own dreams - he has his and I have mine but I want to be back at the 'Big Apple.' I know he wants to take my belts. He has his own agenda and I have my own agenda but one thing is for sure I'm willing to go to war, he's willing to go to war , its going to be exciting."
Narvaez who is undefeated with a record of 35-0-2 with 19 knockouts is much smaller than Donaire but is known to have a big, fighting heart.
The WBO two division world champion won the super flyweight title with a unanimous twelve round decision over Everth Briceno of Nicaragua on May 15, 2010 and had three successful title defenses.
In his last defense Narvaez, a crafty southpaw with loads of experience dominated William Urina (17-1, 14 KO's) of Colombia whom he outworked and outboxed to win a lopsided 117-110 decision on the scorecards of all three judges.
Narvaez said he plans to become a three division champion and return to Argentina with the world bantamweight title.
He beat Filipino Rexon Flores by a near shutout in a flyweight title defense on August 5, 2006 and also defeated Carlos Tamara who had stunned IBF light flyweight champion Brian Viloria with a 12th round TKO in 2010.
The referee for the title fight which will be telecast "Live" by ABS-CBN and The Filipino Channel is Benji Esteves while the judges named by the New York State Athletic Commission are Julie Lederman, Steve Weisfeld and Tom Schreck.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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