When it was Nonito Donaire?s turn to lose in the 2000 Olympic trials to Brian Viloria (who had beaten Nonito?s older brother Glenn earlier in the same trials), Nonito said, ?I felt it was like a slap in the face. I lost by the score of 6 to 8. I had to realize who I was. But then Sugar Ray Leonard, who inspired me, approached me to tell me he thought I won it.? At this point, all traces of bitterness have vanished. ?There?s no bad blood between Brian and me. I have moved on.?
Move on, Nonito did. At 18, in 2001, Nonito turned pro and promptly knocked out Jose Lazaro in Inglewood on Feb. 22 in the fourth round. Nonito however lost his second pro fight by unanimous decision over five rounds to Rosendo Marquez in Calirfornia. Of Sanchez, Nonito says, ?He was a lot bigger and he was the only one I wasn?t able to knock down.?
After nine years in the States, Nonito had regained his confidence and self-esteem which almost abandoned him when he first set foot in America. ?I suffered from low self esteem in the beginning. Everyone seemed bigger and things looked scary, but going to the States made me more confident and outspoken. Also, I don?t think I would have gotten this far in my boxing career if I didn?t go to the States. That?s where the big bouts are being put together and getting the right connection is almost all that matters.?
Donaire credits his present manager, Cameron Duncan (who also manages Kelly Pavlik) for guiding his career so that he could get the proper breaks. ?When I got him (Duncan), I got ranked.?
Despite the ranking and his explosive power, Donaire still has to get the same breaks that Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao got in order to barge into real big time boxing. The word is that Vic Darchinyan, whom Nonito knocked out with a left hook to the face in the fifth round on July 7, 2007 to win the IBF flyweight crown, is unwilling to fight Nonito at 112 pounds anymore. The Armenian-born Australian, who is the current WBA, WBC and IBF super flyweight (115 pounds) champion and former IBO super flyweight king, would rather move up to the bantamweight (118 pounds) than fight Nonito.
Donaire?s victory over Darchinyan was the latter?s first setback. The title fight was awarded Ring Magazine?s ?Knock out of the Year and ?Upset of the Year.? Darchinyan, a southpaw, successfully defended his championship on Feb. 7, 2009 against Jorge Arce, winning by technical knockout in the 11th round. The 33-year-old Darchinyan is the first man in history to unify the titles in the junior bantamweight (super flyweight) class, according to www.sportsnetwork.com.
What could have been a highly entertaining and interesting fight with reigning WBO super flyweight champion Fernando Montiel at 115 pounds on March 22 fell through since, as Nonito says, ?Montiel won?t go down to 115 lbs? opting, it seems, to campaign in the bantamweight division. In fact, Montiel (38-2-1, 28 by KO) won a 10-round non-title decision over Juan Alberto Rosa in November last year as a bantam. Ironically, both Nonito and Montiel are promoted by Bob Arum?s Top Rank.
It would appear therefore that Nonito is running out of opponents in his division and is ripe for moving up. He himself claims that he has had difficulty getting fights which accounts for what he calls a long layoff: it was almost a year after his bout with Maldonado that he defended against South African Moruti Mthalane on Nov. 1, 2008. In fact, physically, it is clear that Nonito should move up one or two divisions higher, lest staying as a flyweight drains him of his strength. ?I fight at 112 pounds and I?m, at 5? 6 1/2?taller than Manny Pacquiao who is 5?6? and now fights at 140 pounds. It?s really a struggle but training with Gerry (Pe?alosa) brought my weight down.?
Sparring partners who can absorb his heavy punches and cope with his speed and reflexes are getting hard to come by. With less than one month to go before his fight date with Martinez (whom Nonito beat as an amateur), Nonito has logged less than 60 rounds for lack of sparring partners.
Looking into the future, Nonito says, ?I will simply follow God?s will. When I know I?m not competitive anymore, I stop. I love the game. If I?m not in the gym, I go crazy. I give Manny Pacquiao credit for opening up boxing to Filipinos. Before 2000, Filipino fighters were not really in the boxing map. The Mexicans and Puerto Ricans were.?
