WHEN FILIPINO flyweight Nonito Donaire Jr. crowned himself as the International Boxing Federation (IBF) flyweight king last July, the immediate response among fight fans was who exactly was the long-armed General Santos City-born puncher.
Despite the deluge of dispatches from the US East Coast, site of his eyepopping fifth-round knockout of Vic Darchinyan of Australia, there were still those who were in doubt of what Donaire could do with his pair of rock-hard fists.
On Dec. 1 (Dec. 2 in Manila), Donaire pursues the job of turning detractors into believers when he makes the first defense of the IBF 112-lb title against Mexican Luis Maldonado at the Foxwoods Resort and Casino in Ledyard, Connecticut.
Yesterday at the open parking lot of the SM Mall of Asia, Donaire conducted a brief workout for the press and the fans as well with his trainer-father Nonito Sr. handling the mitts routine.
“I am ready for Maldonado and I have been doing great in training,” said the 24-year-old Donaire, who now resides in San Leandro, California.
Sporting a nick underneath his right eye courtesy of sparmate Rocky Fuentes, who Donaire has been working with in Cebu the past several weeks, the rangy IBF champion expressed his readiness to retain the crown the same he took it from Darchinyan.
Donaire holds an 18-0-0 win-loss-draw card with 11 knockouts with his stoppage of Darchinyan, a solid candidate for 2008 knockout of the year. Maldonado sports a 37-1-1 slate with 28 knockouts.
Donaire is heading back to Cebu to resume training and they are both scheduled to fly to the US on Nov. 24. They plan to spend the weekend in San Leandro before going to Connecticut.
In attendance were local aficionados such as the former World Boxing Council (WBC) super-featherweight champions Rene Barrientos and Rolando Navarrette, lady promoter Liza Elorde and the In This Corner group made up of Rod Nazario, Lito Mondejar, Ramon Lainez and Gerry Garcia, which used to handle the affairs of Manny Pacquiao.
Also present were some delegates from the on-going 45th WBC convention, including ex-WBC super-bantam king Oscar Larios, who was instantly recognized by the crowd.
