Nonito Donaire has been to the boxing mountaintop. He?s a former four-division titleholder and was the consensus fighter of the year in 2012.
But he has been knocked off that mountaintop in a harsh way as he was knocked down twice and badly knocked out by Nicholas Walters in the sixth round in October, losing his featherweight world title in the process.
It was Donaire?s second loss in four fights, having also lost a decision to Guillermo Rigondeaux in their junior featherweight unification bout in April 2013.
As Donaire aims to return from the harrowing knockout to Walters, he has dropped back to the junior featherweight division and has traveled to his native Philippines for what is supposed to be a get-well fight. He has been matched rather soft against William Prado on Saturday at the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City, just south of Manila.
The 32-year-old Donaire (33-3, 21 KOs) said he understands how important the fight is for his career even though Prado (22-4-1, 15 KOs), 31, of Brazil, has a paper-thin resume and not expected to pose much of a threat.
?Fans are going to find out where I am at on Saturday night,” Donaire said this week.
He will also find out where he is as well.
“I know exactly what is at stake in this fight,? Donaire said. ?It’s very important when I get into the ring on Saturday night.?
In the main event, junior flyweight titleholder Donnie Nietes (34-1-4, 20 KOs), of the Philippines, will make his sixth defense when he faces Mexico?s Gilberto Parra (19-2, 17 KOs).
