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After Pacquiao, it's Nonito's Turn By Teodoro Medina Reynoso PhilBoxing.com Sat, 19 Oct 2019  The Philippines version of the dynamic duo-Manny Pacquiao and Nonito Donaire. The durable twosome has been instrumental in the long ongoing another golden age in Philippine boxing for almost two decades now accounting for about twenty world boxing titles between them as they stamped their indelible marks in a total of twelve weight divisions since the start of the new millennium. After winning his first world title at flyweight (WBC/lineal) in 1998, Pacquiao added seven more world division championships to his collections between 2001 and the current year, winning twelve world titles in all, a record five of them considered as lineal. For the record, Manny also won world titles at super bantamweight (IBF), featherweight ( Ring), junior lightweight (WBC), lightweight (WBC), junior welterweight (Ring/IBO) and welterweight ( three with WBO snd two with WBA). He is now in his fifth reign as titleholder in the welterweight division after winning the WBA regular belt over Lucas Matthysse last year and dispatching Keith Thurman for the WBA welterweight super belt last July. Donaire on the other hand, won his first world title, a lineal one, by knocking out the then dreaded Armenian bomber Vic Darchinyan in 2007. He has since won world titles in super flyweight (WBC interim), bantamweight where he held two (WBC and WBO), super bantamweight where he had three (WBO, WBC and IBF) and featherweight (WBA). 
Donaire (in red trunks) started his run for superstardom by knocking out then feared Armenian-Australian Vic Darchinyan in July of 2007. Nonito is now on his third reign in the bantamweight where he has moved back down to last year, after stopping UK's Ryan Burnett for the WBA bantamweight super title also in 2018. Curiously, both Manny and Nonito presently hold super belts with the WBA. Fact is, their careers almost run in parallel course since the last decade, except in 2012 where Manny lost his two fights to Tim Bradley losing his WBO belt and to Juan Manuel Marquez by his first KO defeat since 1999. That year, 2012, Nonito won all his four fights while winning three world titles at super bantamweight which made him the consensus Fighter of the Year awardee. After floundering away from each other the past recent years, this year, thus far Manny and Nonito are on parallel course once again. 
Pacquiao knocks down Keith Thurman. But Manny has already completed his assignments for the year as he defeated Adrien Broner in defense of his WBA regular belt in January and won the WBA super title against Thurmam last July which makes him among the leading candidates for this year's Fighter of the Year award. After knocking out American Stephon Young in defense of his WBA bantam super belt, it is now Nonito's turn to complete his own tour of duty this year as he takes on Japanese Monster, Naoya Inoue in the World Boxing Super Series finals where his WBA super title and Inoue's IBF crown, not to mention the Ring belt are at stake. 
Donaire corners Stephon Young. The all important bout which is awaited by many fans across the boxing world is set this November 7, 2019 in Saitama, Japan where Naoya holds the homecourt advantage. Currently, Inoue has been installed as the odds on favorite to win that fight. It is now up to Nonito to rise up to the challenge as Manny superbly did against Thurman who in the beginning was favored by oddsters to win their fight. Should Nonito upset the odds and convincingly defeats the Japanese Monster right in his own lair, he would even be Manny's strongest rival for not only the Fight of the Year and Fighter of the Year but possibly the Fighter of the Decade awards. Let us pray for Nonito's victory. 
Donaire and Inoue clashes on Nov. 7 in Saitama, Japan. The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.  |
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