Philippines, 30 Oct 2025
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


MASAM SPORTS 58: NONITO DONAIRE DECLARES HE FIGHTS NAOYA INOUE NOT TO BRAWL BUT TO WIN


PhilBoxing.com





Nonito Donaire, the reigning WBC bantamweight champion, is scheduled to face WBA and IBF bantamweight titleholder Naoya Inoue in a unification rematch on June 7 in Saitama, Japan, Inoue’s native land.

On November 7, 2019, Inoue and Donaire fought an all-out war, with the Japanese emerging victorious via a unanimous decision of 116-111, 117-109, 114-113. The tussle was voted as the 2019 Fight of the Year.

Inoue, now age 29 years, finished the fight with an eye socket fracture inflected by the hard punches of Donaire ten years his senior.

The U.S. based Filipino veteran fighter is looking positively at the rematch that he can give the Japanese champ the same degree of punishment, but Donaire declared in an interview that he plans to fight with more skill and savvy, the fighting style he thinks will end him the match triumphantly.

“When I fought him the last time and came in there, I just brawled with him, to get him into a war,” Donaire told FightHype.com. “Now I’m coming to win the fight. That means I’m putting in game plans, I’m putting in the work ethic, I’m putting [in] a lot of boxing IQ.

“Back then I would just go out there and I didn’t really care to watch his fights. That fight woke me up. I can beat this guy…Now I’m here.”

After his loss to Inoue, Donaire has impressively recovered. Last May 29, he stopped Nordine Oubaali in the fourth round to win the WBC world bantamweight title, becoming the oldest world bantamweight champion in boxing history.

Donaire scored a magnificent fourth-round knockout win over WBC interim bantamweight champion Gaballo to retain his WBC world title belt on December 11.

The two splendid stoppage victories, with The Filipino Flash becoming a world champion again, and the memorable fight with Inoue giving the Japanese his most difficult fight, makes the rematch more exciting and has spurred worldwide fan interest.

Donaire (42-6, 28 KOs) is familiar with the fighting style of Inoue (22-0, 19 KOs), and he is sure that he can exploit The Monster's weaknesses.

“When I came into that fight the last time – again I give him the biggest respect, I think he’s an incredible, incredible fighter,” Donaire was quoted by Boxingscene. “But in doing so there’s always a flaw. In every fighter there’s a flaw and if you find that flaw it’s when you can create victory on that type of game plan. Looking into it, the way I am so composed in [boxing] now, and the way I trust my body to go in there and do its thing I think that will definitely help me win this fight.”

Donaire, four-division world champion, attributed his mind conditioning that he is still young could make the difference.

“Back then I was playing along with what people were saying I was,” Donaire said. “Now I’m playing along to what I say I am. That’s the biggest difference.

"I’m gonna go in there and say, 'You know what, I’m gonna be younger than him, I’m gonna be faster than him, I’m gonna be better than him, I’m gonna be stronger than him.' That’s just what I’m gonna believe in. That’s how I’m gonna go in there with that faith.”

In another interview, Donaire said he was not fighting at his best when he fought Inoue. This could provide him a better chance of defeating the undefeated Japanese "Monster" when they collide again.

"Sure from the way I am now, I fought about 50% then," Donaire told boxing analyst Dennis Principe.

"My strength was not seen because during the training camp, I practiced mostly my speed. But I never really sat down on my punches. And we have seen I used different gloves then, since the gloves were destroyed on the shipping."

Donaire pushed Inoue to the limit, injuring the Japanese's eye socket before getting knocked down and losing a unanimous decision.

"So all the I showed there, I believe that I wasn't at the full capacity performing. I'm not with my full power, not with my full speed, not with my full mentality," he said as quoted by ABS-CBN Sports.

Donaire said getting into the proper mindset will be crucial in his rematch with Inoue.

"In my last Inoue fight, I have no mentality then. Except for the fight mentality, there was never champion mentality," he said. "The Nonito Donaire who will be my choice, that's who you will see, that's the person you will see inside the ring.

"If I believe I'm 21 years old, that's how I'm gonna fight. If I think I'm 40 years, and now I'm actually 50 years then that's how I'm gonna fight. Whatever you speak, the mind becomes you."


Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.


Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • JERUSALEM DEFEATS KUSE BY UD, RETAINS WBC CROWN; MARCIAL WINS
    By Dong Secuya, , Thu, 30 Oct 2025
  • Weigh-In Results: Mary Spencer vs. Mikaela Mayer
    , Thu, 30 Oct 2025
  • Tapales KOs Toro in the 6th round
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Thu, 30 Oct 2025
  • Magramo keeps WBC International light fly title
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Thu, 30 Oct 2025
  • Bacosa wins in Thrilla in Manila 2
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Wed, 29 Oct 2025
  • Llover Saves Pinoy Stint in Bishkek; Kayoes Tall Argentine to Stay Unbeaten
    By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Wed, 29 Oct 2025
  • Alex Sarr makes Wizards history
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Wed, 29 Oct 2025
  • Unbeaten and undefiled
    By Joaquin Henson, , Wed, 29 Oct 2025
  • Press Conference Notes: Mary Spencer & Mikaela Mayer Battle for Three Super Welterweight World Titles
    , Wed, 29 Oct 2025
  • Casimero Needs Professional Team to Set A-right His Flagging Boxing Career
    By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Wed, 29 Oct 2025
  • Yanong is new UBO Continental welter champ
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Wed, 29 Oct 2025
  • Jerusalem shrugs off age disparity
    By Joaquin Henson, , Wed, 29 Oct 2025
  • NBA Scrutinizes Gambling Landscape After Player and Coach Indicted in Federal Probe
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Wed, 29 Oct 2025
  • THRILLA IN MANILA GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY 23: MUHAMMAD ALI AFTER THRILLA (THE CONCLUSION)
    By Maloney L. Samaco, , Wed, 29 Oct 2025
  • WBA #3 Heavyweight Contender Lenier Pero Ready for Statement Win Against Jordan Thompson on DAZN
    , Wed, 29 Oct 2025
  • Fights Announced For CB Promotions Debut Card For Tuesday, November 25th at Cure Insurance Arena in Trenton, New Jersey
    , Wed, 29 Oct 2025
  • JAQUAN CARTY SCORES UNANIMOUS 10-ROUND DECISION OVER SEMAJAY THOMAS
    , Tue, 28 Oct 2025
  • Rapista fails to win IBF Youth super fly
    , Tue, 28 Oct 2025
  • Deadline on October 30 in DCHS Fun Run
    , Tue, 28 Oct 2025
  • Kittipayak is new WBF World heavyweight champ
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Tue, 28 Oct 2025
  • NBA Daily: Spurs Dominate Raptors 121-103
    By Reylan Loberternos, , Tue, 28 Oct 2025
  • National Master Almario Marlon Bernardino Jr. rules Moonroast chessfest
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Tue, 28 Oct 2025
  • VISOLI HEADLINES DECEMBER 17 FESTIVE FIGHT NIGHT IN LONDON FEATURING AYTON, BEVAN, MITCHELL AND MORE AS HEDGES COLLIDES WITH ZORRO FOR ENGLISH TITLE – LIVE WORLDWIDE ON DAZN
    , Tue, 28 Oct 2025
  • Filipino Fighters Unite for Pacquiao’s “Thrilla in Manila” 50th Anniversary Celebration
    By Dong Secuya, , Tue, 28 Oct 2025
  • Manny Pacquiao joins International Boxing Association as Vice President
    , Tue, 28 Oct 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.