Philippines, 06 Sep 2025
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


Donaire speaks out on loss


PhilBoxing.com





Nonito Donaire, Jr. gave no excuses for his loss to Carl Frampton and said yesterday size made the difference as the Irishman used his physical advantage to enable a tactical gameplan in blunting the Filipino Flash?s power to hurt his opponent.

The three judges----Steve Wade of England, Zoltan Enyedi of Hungary and Patrick Morley of the US----submitted identical scorecards of 117-111, giving Donaire only three rounds in Frampton?s win for the interim WBO featherweight title at the SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland, last Saturday night.

?I thought it was much closer than how the judges saw it,? said Donaire in an overseas telephone call. ?But credit to Frampton, he pulled off the victory. He did well in executing his gameplan. There were a lot of close rounds and I know those went to Frampton because that?s how it is when you fight in your hometown. If it were in the US or the Philippines, I would?ve played my boxing game and not try to chase Frampton down.?

Donaire said he noticed Frampton made a key adjustment in his style starting in the second round. ?I think he wanted to test my power in the first round and that?s when I landed some big body shots,? Donaire said. ?He felt my power and it made him change his gameplan. He began to box and move. If he stayed in front of me, I would?ve jabbed and used more combinations. But he kept moving. Then, he would charge in and fight physical. That?s when he threw me down twice. I can?t blame him for that. It came naturally from his gameplan. I didn?t expect him to be so big with his shoulders and arms. I think he weighed 147 for the fight and I came in 136.?

At the weigh-in before the fight, Frampton scaled 125 1/4 and Donaire, 125 1/2. The featherweight limit is 126 pounds.

Donaire said he wasn?t affected by the welt under his left eye that Frampton caused with a right hand in the second round. ?I bruise easily,? he said. ?It was just on the surface, nothing serious. Frampton has decent power but not stunning. He never hurt me although in that last flurry in the 12th, I felt some buzzing. But I think I staggered him at least thrice. In the seventh round, I started to bleed from a cut that was opened by a butt. The referee (Marcus McDonnell) didn?t see it. Not a problem, it happens.?

Before the 11th round, Donaire said his wife Rachel told him to fight his fight, not Frampton?s, to do what he does best. ?Yeah, it got me going,? he said. ?I told myself forget trying to execute my gameplan because it wasn?t working. I went for broke and got him with a left hook. Maybe, if I had done that from the start, it would?ve been a different story.?

Donaire said Ringstar Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer, who was at ringside, was proud of how he fought. ?Richard asked me if I should continue fighting at 126,? he said. ?I?m thinking of going down to 122 or even 118. It?s not a problem to trim down. At training camp, I was walking around at 133 so cutting down to 122 wouldn?t be difficult. Guys in the featherweight division can take my power but guys in the superbantamweight or bantamweight division can?t.?

Donaire said he?ll discuss with his wife and Schaefer what to do next. ?I could do one or two more fights this year,? he said. ?Maybe, we?ll go home to the Philippines for a rest. We?ll assess the situation carefully. I?m grateful to Frampton for what he told me after the fight, that he respects me as a great champion, that I was dangerous from start to finish. I wish him well. As for me, I?m moving on. We?re not done yet.?


Click here to view a list of other articles written by Joaquin Henson.


Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • Boxers swing into action
    By Joaquin Henson, , Fri, 05 Sep 2025
  • UBO Youth World Title Showdown: Aliya Soomro Fights Monika Singh in Thailand
    By Carlos Costa, , Fri, 05 Sep 2025
  • Battle of the Hawk Season 1 Finals on September 9; offers P600,000 to the winning team while P300,000 to the losing finalist team
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Fri, 05 Sep 2025
  • Press Conference Notes: Oscar Valdez Motivated for Saturday's Homecoming Against Ricky Medina
    , Fri, 05 Sep 2025
  • SUNDERLAND PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES AS McCORMACK EYES BIG WIN
    , Fri, 05 Sep 2025
  • THE ROAD TO REYES CUP AND MOSCONI CUP | 2025 PLAYERS QUALIFICATION
    , Fri, 05 Sep 2025
  • Statement from World Boxing following reports in the French media about French female boxers at the World Boxing Championships
    , Fri, 05 Sep 2025
  • GenSan Is Our Version of Los Mochis - The City of Boxing Champions
    By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Fri, 05 Sep 2025
  • Iglesias vs. Shishkin: Unsigned Hype
    By Chris Carlson, , Fri, 05 Sep 2025
  • EDDIE HEARN PROVIDES AJ UPDATE AS PAT McCORMACK NAMES THE BIG FIGHT HE WANTS NEXT IN NEW MATCHROOM BOXING PODCAST
    , Fri, 05 Sep 2025
  • Team USA’s Path to Gold Set at 2025 World Boxing Championships in Liverpool
    , Fri, 05 Sep 2025
  • DACS signs up with Amesco Drug
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Fri, 05 Sep 2025
  • India’s Monika Singh Battles Aliya Soomro of Pakistan for UBO Youth World 108 in Thailand
    By Carlos Costa, , Thu, 04 Sep 2025
  • TEENAGE KICKS: WONDERKIDS LEO ATANG, ADAM MACA AND TIAH-MAI AYTON ARE READY TO LIGHT UP SUNDERLAND THIS SATURDAY
    , Thu, 04 Sep 2025
  • 150 to join Rotary Heritage Aquathlon
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Thu, 04 Sep 2025
  • Miguel Berchelt to Return in Reynosa, Tamaulipas; WBC Praises City’s Commitment
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Thu, 04 Sep 2025
  • Spicing up “Thrilla” card
    By Joaquin Henson, , Thu, 04 Sep 2025
  • SATURDAY: Oscar Valdez vs. Ricky Medina to be Broadcast LIVE on ESPN Deportes in the United States
    , Thu, 04 Sep 2025
  • SUGAR NUNEZ: I’M JUST GETTING STARTED
    , Thu, 04 Sep 2025
  • Jennifer Lozano’s Targets Run at 2025 World Boxing Championships
    , Thu, 04 Sep 2025
  • University of the Philippines is Quezon City chess champ
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Thu, 04 Sep 2025
  • Ultimate Arm Wrestling Showdown on Sept. 7 in Digos
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Thu, 04 Sep 2025
  • Round 12 with Mauricio Sulaimàn: Technological evolution or revolution?
    By Mauricio Sulaimán, , Wed, 03 Sep 2025
  • Result or Matias-Smith WBC super lightweight title match purse bid
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Wed, 03 Sep 2025
  • Vicelles fights in Japan on Sept. 7
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Wed, 03 Sep 2025




  •  



     
    PhilBoxing.com has been created to support every aspiring
    Filipino boxer and the Philippine boxing scene in general.
    Please send comments to feedback@philboxing.com


    PRIVATE POLICY | LEGAL DISCLAIMER
    developed and maintained by dong secuya
    © 2025 philboxing.com.