Veteran boxing promoter Sammy Gello-ani said that Nonito Donaire Jr. should move up to the featherweight class to regain his old deadly form. Donaire lost his World Boxing Organization (WBO) belt to Cuban Guillermo Rigondeaux via unanimous decision on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) in New York City.
?I guess he needs to go up to the featherweight class if he?s not comfortable anymore in the super bantamweight class,? Gello-ani told The Manila Times in a phone interview on Monday. ?I didn?t expect him to loose but it happened.?
?If ever Nonito decides to go up in featherweight, he will have a lot of choices there.?
Donaire (31-2 win-loss log with 20 knockouts) showed lack of head and body movements during the bout while the Cuban two-time Olympic gold medalist Rigondeaux employed a cunning hit-and-run tactic.
?I guess he didn?t watch Guillermo?s tapes, Guillermo surprised him during their fight,? said Gello-ani, who is promoting the fight of the one of the remaining two Filipino world champions ? International Boxing Federation light flyweight titlist Johnriel Casimero. The other is WBO light flyweight Donnie ?Ahas? Nietes.
Meanwhile, Donaire revealed that he might undergo shoulder surgery and after that take some time off with wife Rachel and their new baby.
?The shoulder hasn?t been feeling good for awhile, so I?m going to get a surgery on it and take some time before going back in the ring,? Donaire told boxing website boxingscene.com.
