DONAIRE SAYS HE'S ALMOST THERE
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 13 Jan 2012
Nonito ?The Filipino Flash? Donaire who is ranked No. 4 in Ring Magazine?s pound for pound list says he is ?almost there? in his preparation for a May 4 showdown for the vacant WBO super bantamweight title against former champion Wilfredo Vazquez Jr at the Alamadome in San Antonio, Texas on February 4.
Donaire told the Manila Standard the one thing going for him is that he continues to spar with bigger fighters including undefeated 25 year old Russian featherweight Evgeny Gradovich who has a record of 11 wins with 6 wins coming by way of knockouts and trainer Robert Garcia?s nephew, 22 year old lightweight Javier Garcia who has a record of 6 knockouts in 7 wins with 2 losses.
The three-division world champion whose sensational 2nd round TKO of veteran Fernando ?Cochulito? Montiel on February 19, 2011 to win the WBC/WBO bantamweight title was voted the ?Knockout of the Year? by Sports Illustrated who also named Garcia as ?Trainer of the Year? told us, ?I feel good and I?m almost there? in reference to being in perfect shape for his title fight against Vazquez.
Donaire said he is ?ready for whatever kind of fight it is? pointing out that his sparring partners ?are bigger guys who keep coming in.? He said that should Vazquez decide to be aggressive it would be easy for him to handle.
At the same time Donaire said he is not taking anything for granted, effectively going by what Garcia told the Standard a few days ago that Vazquez Jr ?is a very good fighter , a great fighter and definitely we have to be worried because he?s a former world champion and his Dad (Wilfredo Vazquez Sr) has a world of experience atop the ring.?
Garcia said ?We got to train hard and be in great shape for Vazquez. Right now, everything is going well. ? He said Donaire is ?doing really good. We?ve got two sparring partners that are giving him really good work and he (Donaire) is doing what he needs to do right now. He?s doing a really good job in sparring and it?s a case of little-by-little.?
Chris Robinson of the Las Vegas Boxing Examiner reported that Donaire had a special guest at his training session in the Top Rank Gym in Las Vegas Thursday in the person of Apl. De. Ap. the popular Filipino-American rapper and producer of the widely successful group ?The Black Eyed Peas.?
Robinson said Apl. De. Ap ?seemed to thoroughly enjoy the lively session put forth by Donaire, particularly his six rounds of sparring with Russian featherweight prospect Grandovich.?
Donaire added Apl. De. Ap is ?a very nice guy and we became good friends. It was fun.?
Photo (L-R): Morris East, Apl. De. Ap. and Donaire. Photo by Chris Robinson.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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