Most fighters find it very challenging to move up in weight, even as far as one division, and maintain their level of excellence. For example British star, Ricky Hatton looked unstoppable during his reign as a junior welterweight champion, but as soon as he moved up to welterweight he struggled to beat anybody. Only few elite fighters can jump in weight and maintain their superiority. Such are Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. Could Nonito Donaire be one of them? So far the answer is yes. At least Boxrec.com feels that way; they have listed twenty nine years old Donaire as number one at light featherweight without him ever facing any one at that weight. That problem could be corrected shortly when Nonito will lace up his gloves to face a dangerous former champion from Puerto Rico, Wilfredo Vasquez Jr .Twelve rounds or less contest for the vacant WBO super bantamweight title is scheduled to take place on February fourth in San Antonio Texas and will be televised live on HBO alongside with middleweight championship fray between Julio Cesar Chavez Jr and Marco Antonio Rubio.
So far Nonito has crushed his opposition at 112, 115 and 118 pounds weight divisions. How would he fare at 122 pound weight division? Could bigger guys take his punches easier? Or better yet how would Nonito react to punches from bigger guys? Trainer Roberto Garcia found a good solution to the problem; he had Nonito spar with lightweights like his nephew Javier Garcia and a Russian dynamo Yevgeny.
?So far I am pretty tough, but I try not to get hit of course,? said Donaire when I asked how he felt sparring with lightweights:? The guys were definitely bigger than I expected in the beginning, but my body got accustomed to the size and the width of the bigger guys. So, when I sparred with them I was having difficulties in the beginning, but now I kind of got used to that type of body in front of me. So it?s been great.?
Aside from much bigger sparring partners this whole training camp has been a big change for Nonito Donaire. Instead of training up North where he lives, Nonito decided to train in Las Vegas for this fight to avoid distractions associated with training during holidays.
?It?s great,? said Donaire when I asked him how he liked training in the city of Sin:? Sometime my sparring partner Pelos (Javier Garcia) would be like ?I don?t want you to pull a Mayweather on me, so I am ready you pull a Mayweather.?
Just in case you don?t know what he is talking about, Floyd Mayweather is famous for waking up his team to train in the middle of the night.
?Sometimes I come out here at two o?clock in the morning,? continued Donaire (27-1,18KO?S):? Because my body is awake. It?s great. It?s the first time I train out here. The only difference my guys are not around.?
Some say that Wilfredo Vasquez Jr is a fighter tailor made for Donaire to look good against, or better yet to score a spectacular knock out.
?Because may be he has a little bit of style of Montiel,? opined Donaire who stopped Montiel with a breathtaking left hook early last year:? Where they have a text book type of style. They have good form good movement and it?s easy to read because they are somewhat text book, but I am the same way. I am the same type of fighter, except that I switch around sometimes. But he is a great fighter. My mentality is well prepared, but he is a tough guy. He?s got power as well as decent speed. The one thing that I can?t take him lightly is because he is very determined to beat me. So he?ll pull everything in his arsenal to try to do that. When you have two guys who are in good form who know their basics from jabs to straight, it?s usually you will see a great fight, great opening.?
Don?t miss this one. It will be televised live on HBO.
Finally my dream match up involving Nonito Donaire would be with Guillermo Rigondeaux who destroyed Rico Ramos last Friday.
?It?ll be fine,? said Donaire when asked about it:? But he just came in the picture and he is calling me out. And that?s fine, but I believe that he is a boring fighter. That?s straight out, he is a boring fighter. If you guys want to see another Narvaez fight, because I know I am going to hurt him and you already know that when I hurt the guy they tend to put their gloves up. If you guys want to see that I am fine with that. I never turn down a fight.?
More likely opponent should Donaire best Vasquez Jr on February 4th would be Jorge Arce. That fight will not be boring. I guarantee it.
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