MANILA, Philippines – No less than Top Rank chairman Bob Arum himself has assured interim WBA superflyweight champion Nonito Donaire Jr. that the days of thrashing journeymen and tomato cans are over for the Filipino Flash who can?t wait to take on the world?s elite fighters in marquee matchups.
Arum said the other day he will finalize a showdown between Donaire and WBC bantamweight titlist Fernando Montiel of Mexico within the next few weeks. Down the road, Arum mentioned that unbeaten WBO superbantamweight champion Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. will be lined up for Donaire.
Arum was clearly impressed by Donaire?s eighth round stoppage of Mexico?s Hernan Marquez in Puerto Rico last Saturday and called the General Santos City fighter and WBO featherweight king Juan Manuel Lopez ?two real future stars, if not stars already ? big, big stars in boxing.? Lopez annihilated Filipino Bernabe Concepcion in two rounds on the same card.
?We?re hoping and believe that thanks to (TV source) Showtime, Nonito?s next fight will be for the bantamweight title against the legendary champion Montiel,? said Arum. ?We?ll be putting that together in the next couple of weeks.?
The bout is contingent on Montiel retaining the WBC crown in his first title defense against Panama?s Rafael Concepcion, whom Donaire has beaten, in Mexico this Saturday. Montiel, 31, is expected to trounce Concepcion, a late substitute for original challenger Eric Morel.
Montiel is unbeaten in his last 10 outings and two of his victims during the streak were Filipinos Z Gorres and Ciso Morales. Another Filipino victim in Montiel?s career is Roy Doliguez. The Mexican previously reigned as WBO flyweight and superflyweight champion. His record is 41-2-2, with 31 KOs, and his only losses were to Mark Johnson by majority decision in 2003 and Jhonny Gonzalez by split decision in 2006.
Vazquez, 26, is coming off a 10th round knockout over Hungary?s Zsolt Bedak in Bayamon last May. His record is 19-0-1, with 16 KOs and one of his victims was Filipino Marvin Sonsona.
Arum promised ?a lot of big fights for Donaire in the months and years ahead.?
?You can see the great skills that he has, what a tremendous boxer and fighter he is,? Arum went on. ?Hopefully, if he gets by Montiel, his next goal will be to fight Vazquez, the Puerto Rican 122-pound champion.?
Donaire, 27, said he?s looking forward to battling the big boys. He thanked Arum and Showtime for the opportunity to take his career to the next level.
?Bob just made my day when he said Montiel and maybe, Vazquez,? gushed Donaire. ?This is the dream I?ve been waiting to (happen). Everybody in my facebook and twitter has been asking when am I going to fight the guys who are elite.?
Donaire said he?s moving out of the 115-pound superflyweight division to invade the bantamweight ranks where Montiel awaits.
?Nonito has one weakness ? he likes to eat,? said Arum. ?He?s been starving himself at 115. Now, he can eat a little bit more in getting ready for his fights.?
Donaire said he gorged on filet mignon after making the weight on the eve of the Marquez fight.
Asked about switch-hitting against Marquez, Donaire said it was an experiment prompted by an injury in his left leg. He started the bout using a left-handed stance then in the fifth round, turned orthodox.
?I had an injury in my left leg that made me turn southpaw,? said Donaire. ?Robert Garcia and my team decided to turn me southpaw. This was the first time I fought southpaw. I?ve always fought right-handed. It was an experimental fight. I tried to figure Marquez out, things that we worked on were difficult to (implement) because he was very short. Every time we tried to duck down, he was right in front of me rather than going under me and missing punches. It was an experience. Then I said enough is enough, I turned right-handed and took him out.?
Back to his orthodox style, Donaire decked Marquez in the fifth and finished him off with a brutal left uppercut in the eighth.
After the fight, Donaire received a phone call from President Noynoy Aquino who congratulated him for the victory. Donaire is an adopted member of Aquino?s family and wore ?Aquino? on the back waistband of his boxing shorts.
Working Donaire?s corner for the fight were Garcia, a former IBF superfeatherweight champion, Jonathan Penalosa and conditioning coach Mike Bazzel of the Undisputed Gym in San Carlos, California.
Although he holds no ?regular? world title, Donaire is ranked No. 4 in the Ring Magazine?s world pound-for-pound ladder behind Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather and Juan Manuel Marquez. Below Donaire in the standings are Shane Mosley, Chad Dawson, Paul Williams, Sergio Martinez, Pongsaklek Wonjongkam and Celestino Caballero in that order.
