Many Filipino boxing fans believe that young boxer Nonito Donaire Jr. would someday succeed ring icon Manny Pacquiao as the world?s pound-for-pound king. At 28, Donaire has already won 23 consecutive matches.
?I will do my best, I mean, that?s something that is a big role to try to assume and those are some big shoes to fill, you know what I mean? I will just do my best and at the same time, try to keep that out of my head,? said Donaire (24-1 with 16 knockouts) to boxing.fanhouse.com.
Donaire is set to face Ukrainian World Boxing Association bantamweight champion Voldymyr Sydorenko (22-2-2 with 7 knockouts) on Saturday in California.
?You can never be him [Pacquiao],? he said to boxing.fanhouse.com, adding, ?But as long as I can get support from everybody, you know, then that?s more than enough for me. I?m just going to do my best.?
Donaire?s win against Sydorenko would mean he should prepare for his planned HBO televised showdown against 31-year-old World Boxing Organization and World Boxing Council bantamweight champion Mexican Fernando Montiel (43-2-2, 33 knockouts) on February 19. JOSEF T. RAMOS
