IBF flyweight champion Nonito Donaire Jr. won?t train in Cebu for the second defense of his title against Australian Hussein Hussein in Dubai on April 18 after all.
Donaire said yesterday he decided to set up camp with his father Nonito Sr., who supervises his training, in Las Vegas where manager Cameron Dunkin has lined up an army of sparmates from Mexico and Los Angeles.
?I?ll miss training in Cebu,? said Donaire who received the Philippine Sportswriters Association?s Co-Athlete of the Year award last Saturday. ?Mr. (Tony) Aldeguer had already told me his gym is open for me and you can?t get better sparmates than the ALA Boys. But it?s best I train in San Francisco and Las Vegas so that?s what I?ll do.?
Donaire said he will avoid distractions and downtime because of traffic by training in the US. He will begin training in San Francisco this week then head off to Las Vegas over a month before the fight.
Donaire, his girlfriend Rachel Marcial and taekwondo master Ben Kelso Jr. leave Manila for San Francisco tonight. Donaire, his mother Imelda and Marcial arrived here for the holidays last December after he stopped Luis Maldonado in his first championship defense in Connecticut. Since arriving, Donaire has been the toast of the town, appearing on TV shows, doing pictorial shoots, meeting with sponsors and reuniting with relatives in Bohol. His mother will stay in Bohol to take care of her ailing 95-year-old father Francisco Gonzalez.
?Now it?s time for serious work,? said Donaire. ?I?ve got two months to prepare for Hussein. I know he?s a tough opponent and he?ll be ready to get it on. But there?s no way he?ll beat me.?
Donaire and Hussein met each other in Cebu during the Z Gorres-Vic Darchinyan IBF superflyweight title eliminator two weeks ago. Donaire was a guest analyst on the Solar TV panel while Hussein worked in Darchinyan?s corner with brother Billy.
?No animosity between us,? said Donaire.?I met his brother Billy in Las Vegas and we?re friends. I?d never met Hussy before. I noticed he couldn?t look me in the eye. I know he?s a warrior and gave (Jorge) Arce a heckuva fight a few years ago. But I?m not scared of him. I?ll make sure I take care of business in Dubai even if Hussy claims he?ll enjoy the hometown advantage because of his Arab lineage.?
Donaire said his weight hovers around 130 pounds and assured he won?t find it difficult to make the 112-pound limit for the Hussein defense.
?I?ve been doing a lot of running and working out in the gym,? said Donaire. ?I?ve been watching my diet. Rachel helps me in some taekwondo drills which I?m doing to improve my footwork and lateral movement. I know my body. Once I get down to serious work in the gym, I?ll lose weight fast.?
Kelso, 38, arrived from San Francisco last week. The former US taekwondo heavyweight champion was supposed to train Marcial for the CPJ Open but she backed out of the tournament after spraining an ankle during an early morning run. Marcial, however, will compete in the German Open next month.
Kelso?s father Ben Sr. played for the Central Michigan basketball varsity and saw action for the Detroit Pistons in the 1973-74 NBA season. Ben Sr. scored 85 points in 46 games as a 6-3 reserve guard.
Last Friday, Donaire and Marcial brought Kelso to watch Game 1 of the PBA finals. When Kelso was introduced to Sta. Lucia Realty?s Kelly Williams, he was surprised to find out the player knew his father. Williams played at Oakland University, a Division I school in Michigan.
Donaire said he will watch his brother Glenn take on Jose Albuquerque in a rematch at the Silver Legacy Resort in Reno on Feb. 22 then move to Las Vegas with his father to resume serious training.
Glenn hasn?t fought since losing a technical decision to Darchinyan in October 2006. An accidental headbutt broke Glenn?s jaw, prompting the referee to stop the bout in the sixth round and call for a technical decision.
?My father will be in Glenn?s corner and I?d like to be there to give him moral support because he hasn?t fought in over a year,? said Donaire. ?After the fight, my father and I will go to Las Vegas and continue training.?
Donaire said his group will fly to Dubai out of Las Vegas.
?Mr. Dunkin has sparmates lined up for me,? said Donaire. ?I don?t really believe in too much sparring to prepare for a fight. I?d rather conserve my fighting for the real thing. I?ll probably do about 60 rounds of sparring. But I?ll do a lot more rounds punching mitts and hitting the bags. My father will know what to do to prepare me for Hussy.?
