15rounds.com was recently allowed inside the walls of the US Karate & Boxing Gym in Hayward, California, where two highly ranked brothers, Nonito and Glenn Donaire are training for upcoming bouts on May 12th. WBC #3 rated junior bantamweight contender Nonito Donaire Jr took time out, prior to his workout, to discuss his upcoming bout and the current state of his boxing career.
Do you have opponent set for your return to Reno May 12th?
ND: His name is Kevin Hudgins from Florida. That’s what I’ve heard so far. I don’t really care who I am fighting, but I was told it was Kevin Hudgins from Florida.
You don’t really know anything else about your opponent?
ND:I don’t know anything about him. I haven’t fought in seven months, but Im just glad to have the opportunity to step in the ring. As for now I don’t know anything about him.
Kevin Hudgins has fought mainly as a full bantamweight, and has fought Abner Mares and Raul Martinez. Is this fight going to be fought at bantamweight?
ND: I’m trying to go down to junior bantamweight, that’s my real weight, even if I am not fighting for a championship. I am comfortable at the weight, to make it. I’m just comfortable at that weight, and I think I’d rather fight at that weight for where I’m comfortable. A lot of the guys they’re a lot bigger, when it comes to bantamweight.
Do you know if there will be TV for this bout?
ND: I’m not sure. I don’t think there will be TV for this fight. This is Joey Gilbert’s promotion, I don’t have any information concerning that. I doubt that it’s a TV fight.
Do you feel if you were 161 and world rated, but a heavyweight or middleweight prospect, you would be a bigger player on the TV networks than you are currently?
ND: Yeah, I think they would notice me more, because if I was that big, I would knock everybody out. They might be calling me the next Tyson for all I know. Yeah, if I was a little bit bigger they would definitely notice me more than what I am now.
Do you find it at all frustrating being a junior bantamweight in the US?
ND: At first it was, until I got with my manager, Cameron Dunkin. He’s been giving me a lot of fights. Last year I have a lot of fights, TV fights, until I got injured and sick. I did have a lot of opportunity for TV last year. So far it’s been good with my manager, but before that it was really difficult for us to get fights. We were like stepping stone, until we started knocking them out.
KO Presents Boxing 2007 Magazine recently tabbed you as the junior bantamweight of tomorrow, and last year Ring Magazine tabbed you as a prospect to watch, do any of these types of accolades add any pressure while you climb up the ranks?
ND: I don’t even notice, you know. I know people say that I’m this and that, they saw my name on TV, but I won’t have any pressure until I become world champion. That’s my goal right now, I’m hungry. I don’t care what they call me, but that’s not what I want to be called, I want to be called a world champion. The pressure comes in when I become world champion.
Does the success Manny Pacquiao, as well as other Filipino fighters of late, coupled with the fact that you too were born in General Santos City add any pressure to your march to the title?
ND: It has certainly helped with the Filipino fighters, and the Filipino community. Like I said though, there isn’t any pressure because I don’t have a title of own. I’m hungrier than ever you know. That’s all I think about is beating everybody. I don’t care what it is, who wants me to be there, or expects me to be there…my expectation is my expectation and no one else’s. It doesn’t bother me at all if you expect me to be the best, that’s what I strive for. There no pressure with it at all.
Have you followed the career of your amateur rival Brian Viloria?
ND: Not so much a rival. We only fought once, I was seventeen then (Viloria’s controversial Olympic trials victory). We rooted for him in his last fight. He didn’t do enough, and I don’t really have much to say about that. He’s 108, I’m 115, there should be nothing to compare there you know. He was world champion once, and represented the Phillipines.
So he is too small to think of as a possible future opponent as a pro?
ND: He is too small, he can fight my brother (Glenn Donaire), if they do want to fight him. Right now, I want the guys in my weight, that is what I focus on. (WBC Super Flyweight Champion Christian) Mijares, I want his belt, that’s what I’m going for.
Along with fighters like Robert Guerrero of Gilroy and Andre Ward of Oakland, you have become part of a reemerging boxing scene in the San Francisco Bay Area. Do you pay any attention to the other notable bay area fighters?
ND: Of course, those guys are my friends. Those guys…we go a long, long way (back), since amateurs. Those guys have helped me out a lot. We are like brothers you know. Especially Andre, Andre did so much for me. He kept me going to box. There were so many times I really wanted to quit and it was Andre that really put me up there. He made me realize I really had something to prove with boxing, and I know I can get somewhere with it. And Robert, I’m just proud of him. He is a world champion, he is doing his thing and I am really proud of him, and I want a belt too as well.
Do you think there’s a possibility of the return of big time boxing to the area in newer venues like HP Pavilion in San Jose, Oracle Arena in Oakland and old venues like the Cow Palace in San Francsico?
ND: I’m hoping…there’s a lot of fights out there now. The fighters here, we have a world champion in the Bay Area now and Andre’s a gold medalist. There’s a lot of possibility. Boxing will surely become more popular in the Bay Area, and I’m hoping it does so I can fight out here with my family. That would be so great.
One knock I have heard on your potential to be a world champion is that sometimes you seem to go looking for the knockout when it may not be to your best benefit. Is that a conscious approach to win, or possibly be more fanfriendly?
ND: My thing is I want to knock everybody out. If I can knock you out in the first round, I’ll knock you out in the first round. If you are smart, you’re tricky, I’m still gonna try to knock you out, but I’m not gonna force a knockout. If I don’t see any openings, I won’t try to force it, to open myself up, to make myself vulnerable to get hit. I’m gonna be smart, if I see it I’m gonna jump on it right away.
Looking at your record, it seems apparent your toughest opponent has been Kahren Harutyunyan, did you learn any major lessons in that close fight?
ND: Kahren isn’t the toughest opponent that I’ve had. He couldn’t really punch well. He was a friend of mine actually. We know each other well. What I learned then was just show no mercy you know. Even if it’s your friend, show no mercy. You have to go out there and don’t force yourself. If you can’t fight with an injury, do try to show…I mean it was an opportunity for me to go out at it. My ankle, and I had a few injuries at that time. That’s one thing I’ve learned, is to not push yourself too much. I mean it was an opportunity, so I couldn’t really say no. That’s what I’ve learned so far.
Since Harutyunyan is a friend of yours, is a rematch something you aren’t really interested in?
ND: If it makes it at this weight, because I am not going back. I am not looking back anymore. If he gets in front of me (in the rankings), then I will definitely, definitely give him a fight. I am not looking back, I have my eyes straight forward. If you’re above me, that’s who I want to fight. Mijares…all those guys. That’s all I’m looking forward to.
A while back, you were rumored as a potential opponent for Vic Darchinyan for a title defense on Showtime. Do you feel you are ready today to step in the ring against a Darchinyan, who recently defeated your brother Glenn, in defense of the IBF Flyweight title?
ND: Oh man, I would kill Darchinyan. That’s all I have to say. He’s a shit talker, but that’s his way of things. I have my belief that I will beat him. I think I can beat anybody right now. I’m fast, I’m strong, I’m smart…what else can I do. I can fight, I can brawl, I can box. I am a very smart fighter and I’m ready for anybody out there.
Do you have any sort of mental timetable in which you want a title fight?
ND: Hopefully by this year. I want to get that Mijares’ belt. I’m gonna call it mine. I know I can beat him. I’m hoping that if my manager plays everything well, that everything will go right and I will get my title shot by this year or next year.
Is a title fight by the end of this year something your management team has expressed as something they to do as well?
ND: Yeah that what my manager wants me to do, because I keep bugging him about it. “I can take that guy, I can take that guy. Don’t worry about it”. That’s what we are working on right now. I’m ranked number three right now, since (Jorge) Arce is out of the picture in the top ranking, I’ll probably be number two or hopefully number one and be able to fight for a elimination bout. That’s what I’m looking for. I mean, there’s still a lot of year, we haven’t even gone half way through the year yet. Hopefully I will be able to get it by the end of this year.
You’ve mentioned Cristian Mijares a couple times, are there any other champions or top contenders you are targeting?
ND: Well the first priority is Mijares because I’m ranked number three in the WBC and he is the champion. I’m just right there, but (Fernando) Montiel, (Martin) Castillo…all those other guys. I want to be able to get all those belts. My first priority right now is to focus on getting to a championship bout with Mijares, because I’m right there. But I mean anybody…if they give me a fight with a world champion, I’ll be more than willing to go for it.
In the WBC ratings, with Arce out now, the only guy rated ahead of you is Devid Lookmahanak. Have you seen any film on him, or do you know anything about him, since he may be who you fight in an eliminator?
ND: I can’t even say his name. I don’t know anything about this guy. For me, it’s not that I lack to care about who I fight, but I really just don’t go into that detail. I’m not the world champion yet. I’m hungry and I’m willing to fight anybody…I don’t care.
Do you watch film at all when you’re training for a guy?
ND: If they have a film, then we study it, but most of the time we don’t have any film. We never have to study anybody, because we don’t get any films with the opponent or anything like that. If we do have it, then we definitely would be studying the opponent.
How long have you had your father as your lead trainer?
ND: Ever since I started boxing when I was ten. He’s always been the one that taught me everything I know. There’s nobody else that made me who I am, but him. It was his work, I’m his work right and it’s my work. It was him that built me up from zero.
Does it ever worry you that you see other big name fighters, that when they have their dad as their trainer, that it sometimes causes problems in their personal relationship? Does it worry you at all that it might come up?
ND: We’ve been through ups and downs. We still have our issues, but I don’t think I would be able to work with anybody. Even if we are fighting, I know he wants me to do my best and I know I want to do my best. I know he will try to protect me if he has to. I’m just secure and I trust my corner. That’s one thing, even if we fight or have an argument and don’t talk, but if it’s in the ring we work as a team.
Thank you Nonito, thank you for your time and goodluck in Reno.
ND: Thank you
Saturday, May 12th, Noninto Donaire Jr squares off against Kevin Hudgins on the undercard of Joey Gilbert against Juan Astorga at the Reno Events Center in Reno, Nevada. Nonito’s older brother Glenn has just recently been added to the card, and his opponent is to be announced. I would like to thank Nonito Sr, Nonito Jr. and Glenn Donaire for their time and cooperation for this interview.
