Donaire not taking Vazquez lightly
By Joaquin Henson
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 04 Feb 2012
MANILA, Philippines - Former IBF flyweight and WBC/WBO bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire Jr. couldn?t care less about the odds in his 12-round fight against Puerto Rico?s Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. for the vacant WBO superbantamweight title at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, tonight (tomorrow morning, Manila).
Bookmakers installed Donaire a whopping 12-1 favorite to whip Vazquez but the Filipino Flash said yesterday the betting line is inconsequential in focusing for a bout. ?Yeah, I heard about the odds,? said Donaire in an overseas phone call from San Antonio. ?I don?t think about it. As long as I do my best, what I need to do to win, that?s enough. I?m very confident. Vazquez is a former world champion. He?s got two fists like me. He wants to win as badly as I do so I can?t take him lightly.?
Donaire, 29, said his recognition as the world?s No. 4 pound-for-pound fighter behind Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Sergio Martinez is an honor but it won?t add to the pressure of trying to score a convincing victory.
?There?s no extra pressure on me being the favorite,? he said. ?I?m coming prepared. I had an excellent training camp with five weeks of serious training. I sparred over 100 rounds, the most I?ve ever done for a fight. I never cut back on my eating. I?m on weight. I?m in great shape.?
It will be Donaire?s debut in the 122-pound division. Vazquez, 27, scaled 125 for his knockout win over Mexico?s Roberto Carlos Leyva last October and went as much as 134 in stopping Cature Hicks in the first round in 2007. Vazquez lost the WBO crown to Jorge Arce on a 12th round stoppage in Las Vegas last May and came back to trounce Leyva who was coming off five straight losses. Leyva was halted by Filipino Z Gorres in Cebu City in 2009 so can?t be considered serious opposition. Vazquez reportedly had a problematic training camp because of weight issues.
?I expect the worst of any situation,? said Donaire. ?That keeps me on my toes. Vazquez will come in bigger than me for sure. That?s why I went up against heavier sparring partners, Evgeny Gradovich and Javier Garcia, both lightweights. I wanted to get used to fighting guys with a bigger frame. Vazquez may be bigger than me but lacks experience. He?s not fast although I?ve seen guys weighing 130 to 140 pounds moving very well in the ring. I?m definitely quicker. I think his big punch is the right straight but I?m not worried about that. I can see that coming. He?s not overwhelmingly strong. He doesn?t have one-punch knockout power. His advantage will be size.?
Donaire?s sparmate Gradovich, 25, is a Russian contender with an 11-0 record, including six KOs. Garcia, 22, is a lightweight prospect with a 7-2-1 record, including six KOs.
Asked who are the celebrities expected at ringside, Donaire said he?s just focused on the fight and avoids distractions. ?I?ve got my team around me, that?s all I know,? he said. ?I?m going out there to win. There?s a lot I hope to accomplish this year. This is the first step.?
Donaire hasn?t lost since his second pro fight to Rosendo Sanchez on points in Vallejo, California, in 2001. He?s won his last 26 outings to raise his record to 27-1, with 18 KOs. Donaire hasn?t tasted defeat in over 10 years. Nine of his last 11 wins came within the distance.
Vazquez? record is 21-1-1, with 18 KOs. Two years ago, the Puerto Rican stopped Filipino Marvin Sonsona in the fourth round for the vacant WBO 122-pound belt. Vazquez? father Wilfredo Sr., now 51, campaigned from 1981 to 2002, winning the WBA featherweight, WBA superbantamweight and WBA bantamweight crowns in compiling a 56-9-2 record, with 41 KOs. One of Wilfredo Sr.?s victims was Filipino Paquito Openo who capitulated in seven in Inglewood, California, in 1991.
So far, Donaire?s biggest wins were his knockouts over Vic Darchinyan in 2007 and Fernando Montiel last year. ?That?s the first time that I felt like I accomplished something in this game and I like it better every time,? said Donaire, referring to his win over Montiel, in an interview with Boxing News editor Tris Dixon. ?Every time I step in that ring, I?m getting better and better and I know that?s a fact. I want to be better than I was and keep the momentum going. It?s beautiful. I feel great about the whole thing. I?m still motivated. I?m still hungry. I want to keep performing the way I am now.?
As for his growing popularity in the Philippines, Donaire told Dixon he appreciates the recognition and it drives him to achieve even more for his country. ?I?m pretty well-known in the Philippines,? he said. ?I walk around and they take pictures. I really appreciate that but I just want to keep doing it, keep getting bigger and bigger for the Philippines, for the fans and for myself and see where I can bring my skills, ability and hard work. I don?t really think about popularity. I just want to keep moving forward.?
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Joaquin Henson.
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