At the Undisputed Gym in San Carlos, Calif., the heavy bag suffers a princely beating at the hands of four different legends in one night.
?Here?s Mike Tyson,? says bantamweight Nonito ?Filipino Flash? Donaire, as he pulverizes the bag with blazing double left hooks. ?Bap-bap! Bap-bap! Who?s next??
Donaire?s bob-and-weave impression of the heavyweight legend is soon followed by an uncanny southpaw rendition of Manny Pacquiao as well as a pinpoint imitation of the stylings of Roy Jones, Jr., all of which receive raucous applause from his wife Rachel and the spectators in attendance for his public workout.
But once the fanfare subsides and playtime is over, THE RING?s number five pound-for-pound fighter?s persona is the last man standing. ?Iron Mike,? ?RJ,? and the ?Pac-Man? can come back another time.
Nonito is just left with Nonito; he has become boxing royalty in his own right and resumes the rest of his workout with the quiet intensity of a Shaolin monk. And that?s the way he likes it heading into the biggest moment of his career.
?I know a lot of people have said I belong [in the pound-for-pound top five] and I should think that way,? explained Donaire, 25-1 (17), who relishes this transition from solemn silence to violence in the ring.
On this Saturday?s latest installment of HBO?s ?Boxing After Dark,? Donaire will finally get an opportunity to show us his true identity when he challenges current unified WBC/WBO king Fernando ?KO-Chulito? Montiel, 44-2-2 (34), at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas in Top Rank?s ?Latin Fury 13/Pinoy Power 3? main event.
?Montiel is an elite fighter. But for me, to acknowledge myself that I belong in the elite aside from hearing the words, ?And the new?,? it?s more about [him] passing the throne [to me],? said Donaire.
Taking the crown by force has become the budding star?s mission. It?s no secret that the 28-year-old resident of San Mateo, Calif., is facing the most pivotal bout of his career.
It?s also a rarity to see the lower weight classes in the spotlight of boxing?s highest-profile network and, this weekend, Donaire will take center stage opposite his Mexican foil, who has clawed his way to the seventh spot in those same pound-for-pound rankings.
Rather than added pressure, however, the fight?s impending arrival has offered a sense of relief for the ultra-skilled, versatile Donaire, who had worried for years that it would never come.
?I?m relieved that finally it?s there,? he said. ?I?m really hungry for this fight. This is the biggest fight of my career so for me, it?s an all or nothing mentality I have. So there?s no fear in any part of my body because I have something to prove and I?m trying to belong.?
Moreover, Donaire?s training camp has attracted more attention than expected. With Victor Conte taking a significant role in his regimen, the Filipino?s burning desire to vindicate his place in the sport?s elite and lingering speculation regarding his promotional future, there is a lot more riding on the balance than the two bantamweight world title belts on the surface.
YOU?VE GOT QUESTIONS, HE?S GOT ANSWERS
It?s dawn at the College of San Mateo and famed sprint coach Remi Korchemny barks instructions to Donaire on the track. It is on the glistening oval where surviving the famed Russian?s workouts requires the steely mentality of the cartoon bulldog which graces the wall in the background.
?I have to wear special shoes for Remi?s workouts,? Donaire commented later. ?They?re so tough that I can?t even wear my regular running shoes.?
This time, the drill in question involves a memory belt, which is fastened with Velcro around Donaire?s waist and is attached to a harness on a rail. After the fighter sprints for ten yards, Korchemny jerks the strap loose and Donaire explodes.
?Remi has a world-class Ph.D in exercise physiology, so he and I communicate well because he understands the physiology but he also is an expert with biomechanics,? said Conte. ?Remi?s studied Nonito?s films; he sees what all his strengths and weaknesses are and he develops specific drills to strengthen what he sees are the needs of Nonito Donaire. So this is all hand-in-glove.?
Anyone who?s followed professional sports is familiar with the name; as founder of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO), Conte had a hand in the now-vacated world-record achievements of Marion Jones and Tim Montgomery since they were aided by the use of performance-enhancing drugs.
Some swear by the mantra, ?Once a cheater, always a cheater.? Others believe in the gift of second chances for past transgressions. Of course, in this day and age of unapologetic accusations and guilt by association, Donaire was fully aware that he would have to combat any stigma connected with his new associate and friend because of his precedent.
?Well, the thing is not judging a book by its cover,? said the fighter. ?I was open-minded in that sense and I?m blessed that I was able to have this opportunity with Victor. Not only has he done great stuff for me and helped me out throughout, he?s an intelligent person and he?s been a great person.
?If you guys have doubts, I?m always willing to be under the needle 24/7 and that goes to show that I?m here because I?m legit and Victor is legit. So don?t judge a book on its cover because you?re going to miss out on a new way to do things scientifically with Victor and Remi.?
Conte gave his take on the matter, offering a baseball analogy, having worked with controversial home run record-holder Barry Bonds in the past and now current All-Star Marlon Byrd, who enjoyed a career year in 2010 after working with Conte.
?My opinion on this is that athletes associated with me are likely to be target tested,? said Conte. ?Let?s give a specific example of Marlon Byrd?On average, he has been tested about five times a year since they implemented the testing in 2003. As soon as he became associated with me in 2008, he?s been tested over ten times a year. So he?s target tested. So what I?m trying to say is that the athletes associated with me are likely the cleanest athletes in the sport because they know that they?re going to be scrutinized.?
Conte?s tone then became one of repentance when reflecting on his history as it relates to Donaire and his future body of work.
?Will there obviously be suspicion and questions and doubt as we carry forward?? he asked. ?There certainly will be. So I understand that. Nonito understands that. Marlon understands that?and let me say?I?m very grateful and thankful that Nonito is willing to pay that price and willing to answer the questions because it is a burden to him. It?s another thing he has to deal with and he has to think about?but we?re friends and we trust each other and as Rachel put it in an interview, we?re 100-percent with him and he?s 100-percent with us.?
While it is true that after wounds heal, the scars remain, the former Tower of Power bassist-turned-mad scientist has endeavored to trade in his notoriety for the badge of advocacy.
In the film ?Catch Me If You Can,? Frank Abagnale was a check forger who went straight by working in the fraud department of the FBI to pinpoint other counterfeiters. The winds seem to be taking Conte on a similar path, as he has used his knowledge of the broken system to advise organizations on instituting more stringent drug testing techniques.
In fact, the World Anti-Doping Agency chose Conte to be their keynote speaker at their annual convention last November. Still, he?s fully aware that he won?t win everyone back.
?I do understand that there are some who will never be able to forgive me for the rest of my life,? he admitted, ?and I do understand that. And I?m going to have to live with that. And that?s just a part of the consequences for the very bad decision I made in the past. But I?m at peace at that?I?m doing what I can to attempt to redeem myself to those who hopefully one day will find it in their hearts to forgive me.?
But in the end all, the new Conte?s not going anywhere, having attracted the patronage of fighters like Andre Ward, Karim Mayfield, Eddie Chambers, and Nonito on the strength of a sales pitch that he feels is a revolutionary way of doing things when compared to the current landscape of boxing fitness.
?If something makes sense to [Nonito], then he?s not afraid of all the stigma that?s attached to me or to try new things because he realizes there is this new-school technology compare to old-school and just because athletes have been taught something because that?s the history of the sport and that?s just the traditional way that you do things.?
In addition to the aforementioned memory belt, Donaire undergoes hypoxic training, a new and sophisticated take on the high-altitude training that distance runners have successfully utilized over the years. Conte also administers a variety of supplements that come from his company, Scientific Nutrition for Advanced Conditioning (SNAC). No stone is left unturned to maximize the fighter?s optimal condition.
?[Trainer] Robert Garcia comes to these sprint training sessions and the hypoxic sessions and he has an interest in this,? said Conte. ?He sees Nonito spar 12 rounds hard with multiple sparring partners; he comes back and he?s got a big smile on his face and he?s fresh. [Robert?s] just blown away at Nonito?s level of fitness.?
The benefits so far have been evident to Donaire and he doesn?t hesitate to extol his regimen?s virtues. So far, the results speak for themselves, with an eighth-round stoppage of Hernan Marquez last July and a devastating fourth-round knockout of Wladimir Sidorenko last December to prove it.
?My strength, reflexes and everything else have increased dramatically but you can really see the difference in the last two fights,? he said. ?You can see that I?m more confident going in there without any doubts in my mind because I?m in tremendous shape. And when you?re in tremendous shape, you don?t fear anything.
?Sometimes when you?re a fighter or you?ve been told that you?re not good enough or training hard enough, you?ll have that in your head,? added Donaire. ?The first time I trained with Robert, he told me to slow down because I was doing too much. But now if this guy?s telling me I?m in good shape, then I don?t have to worry about that.?
SHADOWPLAY
From Pancho Villa to Ceferino Garcia to Flash Elorde, the Philippine Islands have produced Hall of Famers in various eras but never in the proud nation?s history have two products of the Asian archipelago graced THE RING?s pound-for-pound list simultaneously. Sure enough, Donaire and Manny Pacquiao sit atop the dossier at five and one, respectively.
While most would discern such an occurrence to be cause for celebration in the Pearl of the Orient, somehow it seems that many can?t appreciate Nonito for all he is without comparing him to the ?Pac-Man.?
After Donaire earned 2007?s consensus ?Knockout of the Year? distinction when an impeccably timed left hook demolished both the undefeated record and ego of Vic Darchinyan for the IBF flyweight title, the ?Filipino Flash? put the boxing world on notice overnight.
However, his subsequent parade of opponents at 112 pounds was immediately scrutinized, while Pacquiao moved up in weight taking on challenge after challenge en route to crossover superstardom. But could the fans? ire have been misplaced?
Never mind that the man Donaire unseated shied away from the rematch and moved up in weight, according to Nonito?s manager.
?Listen, nobody wanted to fight [Nonito] and that?s truth,? said Cameron Dunkin. ?I don?t care what anybody writes or says. I?m in the middle of it; I?m in the thick of this sh*t. Nonito actually wants to fight tougher guys than I want him to fight and I?m almost scared to talk to him about it. I talk to Rachel about it because he looks at me like I don?t believe in him. He wants to fight ?JuanMa? Lopez. He wants to fight the best 126-130 pounders. So all this time, he hasn?t gotten big fights; it?s not his fault.
?He wanted to fight Montiel a long time ago. He wanted to fight Darchinyan in the rematch. He?s done everything he?s possibly could to secure a big fight. Darchinyan didn?t sign the contract and for him to say two months out from the fight, ?Oh, Nonito waited too long.? What is he talking about? It was two months before the fight was supposed to be. You had plenty of time. He didn?t want to fight Nonito. He doesn?t want anything to do with Nonito.?
Then there was Donaire?s own ascension three pounds north to super flyweight, where during his first pay-per-view headline bout against Rafael Concepcion for the interim WBA 115-pound crown, the Panamanian came in at not one, but two weight classes above the limit at 120.5. Donaire, unafraid of the risk in stepping in the ring with a virtual junior featherweight, kept the card afloat and the paying customers from leaving Las Vegas by agreeing to fight anyway.
?I came in here to represent. I came in here to fight with my heart,? Donaire said at the post-fight conference.
However, rather than being lauded for displaying nerves of steel in a gutsy unanimous decision victory, his no-excuses approach was rewarded with criticism from those who felt he should?ve stopped Concepcion with ease, despite his foe possibly weighing in at up to 125 pounds in the squared circle that night.
“The five pounds he had on me?if he was at 115, he would have gone down early,? Donaire continued. ?Those extra pounds that he had was definitely an advantage.?
Moreover, in contrast to Manny?s relationship to his mother Dionisia, there is the issue of Donaire?s ongoing discord with his father and former trainer, Nonito Sr. The once inseparable pair?s relationship has spiraled downward to the point where many in the Filipino media have begun to take sides.
Nonito Sr. has blamed Rachel for breaking up father and son; Rachel has replied through Filipino media outlets that she?s waiting for the Montiel fight to conclude so she can reveal her side of the story with evidence. Nonito Sr.?s wife (and the fighter?s mother) has even gone on the record with Filipino website pep.ph as saying, ?I don?t care if Montiel will win.?
?I said to his dad [that] she makes him happy, so let?s just go with it,? recalled Dunkin, ?but [Nonito Sr.] said, ?No, she?ll ruin him.? But guess what? She hasn?t. He?s the happiest he?s ever been. He?s winning fights. Making money. He?s in great shape. And now to turn around and say I hope he loses and I hope he learns his lesson? I don?t understand it.?
Noticeably hurt by his mother?s words and his soured state of relations with his father, Donaire addressed the topic as candidly as possible.
?There?s a dark cloud following me around right now and I?m going to try to avoid it as much as possible,? he said. ?The thing is, they?ve always done that. They always bring that cloud and that rain around me. And now that this is the biggest fight of my career, it?s not even like a shower. It?s more like a monsoon but I have my umbrella right now and I?m going to just keep it at that.?
As stated earlier, regardless of the internal strife, Nonito still believes in reconciliation.
I?ve always been optimistic since the moment we split that we can work this out,? he said. ?I?ve always been forgiven and I always forgive people but I don?t forget what they have done. Even if he had done so much to me, I?ve always blessed him. I?ve always done mano (a Filipino hand gesture of respect to one?s elders) and that?s just me as a son to his father, even if he hated my guts or didn?t want to look at me.
?But the way it is now, they?re not being a family. They even said it out in the press that they?d rather have me lose. And that?s coming from my mom, you know? That?s the person who really connected me to this family but I have my umbrella on right now. All I really care about is this fight right now. I?m just trying to move on from there and settle it after that fight. If I have to tell the truth, I?ll tell the truth.?
With everything said, the critics are right. Nonito?s not Manny. But no one is and the comparisons at times are unfair.
Donaire?s not a southpaw; he fights in the orthodox stance. Nonito?s parents moved the family to San Leandro in Northern California when he was ten, so he didn?t have the same language barriers Pacquiao originally faced when he arrived stateside. Truth is, Nonito is Nonito. Shouldn?t that be enough?
?The thing is I?m blessed to be called the next guy,? said Donaire. ?And I?m blessed that I have fans and people who pray for me and wish me the best. But what it comes down is that since I was little, I?ve always been proud to wear the Filipino flag. And that?s who I am, a Filipino fighter, and I?m going to give it all I got, regardless of what happens. I?m proud of who I am and I?m trying to reach the pinnacle of my talent that God has given me.?
It?s no secret that the ethereal Pacquiao is close to the end of his career but in looking for his predecessor, fans lose sight of Donaire?s accomplishments. It?s almost sad to see but as the ?Flash? attempts to etch his own signature on the history of the sport, Filipino fight fans are hung up on why he can?t be more like Manny.
?I think it?s not about being in the shadow,? Donaire asserted. ?I?ve always been really proud of Manny. I really don?t have anything behind anything. As long as I feel that I did the best I can do and I?ve done myself proud and everyone proud, that?s all that really matters most to me. In history, this guy [Pacquiao] is legendary. It?s always going to be like that but sometimes we tend to compare others, maybe to keep you moving or something like that.
?But Manny has been my blueprint because he has inspired me to keep going as much as I can. I don?t know if that?s shadowing somebody, whatever it may be, but I know that I?m going to do my best because Manny is going to do his best and whatever I can reach, I?ll be happy. It could be just now [at bantamweight] or four times, five times divisional champion but I think that?s what matters most. Doing my best.?
Rumors surfaced that the shelving of Donaire?s scheduled appearance on Pacquiao?s undercard against Margarito in November was a signal of conflict between the two Filipino stars. However, Donaire looked to quash such thoughts and rather saw Pacquiao?s adviser, Michael Koncz, as the basis of the miscommunication.
?With me and Manny, we?ve been friends for a long time,? explained Donaire. ?I?ve known that man since 2000. And every time we see each other in Manila, we always get lunch. We get dinner. So there?s really nothing that goes down behind it. So for me, I just don?t want give Manny more trouble and asking him, ?Why is Koncz saying this? Why is Koncz saying that??
?I don?t want to be a girl about it and tell [Manny] about all my problems. He has the Philippines to worry about. He has his fights to worry about. He has his family to worry about. I don?t want to be another thing to make him worry. I told him before, ?Why was I taken off in the fight?? He said, ?I don?t know. Nobody told me that. I?ve never done anything.? He clarified that to me. ?I would never do that.? ?
To be sure, Donaire even talked to a second source in the Pacquiao camp for confirmation of what had transpired.
?I asked [Philippine government official Luis] ?Chavit? Singson why they pulled me off the fight when we were together in Japan visiting friends. And [Singson] called Manny and Manny had said, ?I have no idea what was going on.?
?And later, we found out throughout Top Rank?s head that it was Koncz who pulled me out of the fight and I just wanted to hear from Manny and that?s what I did. And I know [Manny] wouldn?t do that. What am I? Nothing compared to what he has done?and for me, I don?t want to be a burden to anybody.?
OH YEAH, THE FIGHT
With all the aforementioned hoopla outside the ring, it?s easy to forget that Donaire has a unified bantamweight clash this Saturday with Montiel. Donaire?s trainer, Robert Garcia, acknowledged the opponent?s high level of fitness, while at the same time, offering his opinion on his charge?s supreme focus.
?Montiel is a very dedicated fighter, so he knows what he?s got to do to be in top shape,? said Garcia, ?but Nonito has been training hard. For his last fight in December, he was already training like it was for the Montiel fight. I?ve never seen him train this hard, this well.?
Garcia?s professional plate has enough servings on it to satiate competitive eater Joey Chestnut. With Brandon Rios approaching his first world title tilt against WBA lightweight holder Miguel Acosta the week after Donaire faces Montiel, the esteemed cornerman has found himself racking up gas mileage up and down the California coast between San Mateo and Oxnard. When asked about the double duty, Garcia assuaged any apprehensions about Donaire receiving the attention he deserves for a fight of this magnitude.
?You know what, I have a great team,? said Garcia. ?When I?m in Oxnard, he?s got Jonathan [Pe?alosa] and Rachel, who is always by his side. He has Mike Bazzel, his strength-and-conditioning coach there, too. I?ve been driving back and forth twice a week. But I love what I?m doing and I have no problem with it.?
Pe?alosa, the brother of retired world champs Dodie Boy and Gerry, is more than able to hold his own in the corner with his role in Nonito?s team. When I visited Camp Donaire a couple weeks ago, he was working the mitts with Nonito and gave his take on the fight.
?Montiel will not be ready for Nonito,? said Pe?alosa. ?He beat Hozumi Hasegawa because Hasegawa made the mistake of getting caught in the ropes. Nonito will be too fast for him to find.?
During that same session on the pads, Donaire switched to southpaw. Will we see that strategic wrinkle this Saturday?
?That?s not in the plan but if we have to do it, like if for some reason [Nonito?s] left hand starts hurting, he?ll turn southpaw,? said Garcia. ?We?ll use our advantages but we?ll keep that in the bank just in case.?
Speed kills and two of three sparring partners logging rounds in attendance that day, Eric Ruiz and Beto Juarez, won?t argue with Pe?alosa.
?The toughest part of sparring Nonito is that he?s so fast,? said Juarez as Ruiz nodded in agreement. ?You?ll set up an attack on him and he won?t be there anymore when you come.?
?Sparring?s been great with Beto with Eric,? said Donaire. ?With Jonathan, he does the physical work like the mitts and all that while Robert watches very movement that I make, what I?m making mistakes on and what I can capitalize on. He pretty much watches over me and does the game plan. I usually submit my own game plan and Robert tweaks it a little bit to work with mine, then he puts it in a way I can take advantage of the best.?
Garcia gave a glimpse of what that plan might entail.
?One thing that Montiel said in the press conference as that he wants this fight to be a war,? the trainer said. ?He wants people going down and cuts and blood. Well, that?s the way he wants that fight to go because that?s where he has a chance but we?re not going to do that. He?s going to see a smart Nonito who?s going to move from side to side, use his speed and power, but not trade punches like Montiel wants him to do.?
?I think [Montiel?s] left hook is not better than my left hook,? added Donaire. ?He?ll see how fast and strong I am.?
QUO VADIS?
The subtitle above is a Latin phrase popularized in the Acts of the Apostles meaning, ?Where are you going?? The same can be asked of Nonito Donaire after his battle with Montiel.
The table is set for Saturday. But what happens the morning after and beyond is still anyone?s guess.
By virtue of owning the two belts, Montiel will earn $400,000, while Donaire stands to receive $375,000. However, a stirring win will only escalate that figure in future fights and at a very opportune time.
Donaire?s contract with Top Rank expires following the bout. If he were to get by Montiel, the next obvious move would be to unify with the April 23 winner between Abner Mares, a Golden Boy fighter, and IBF champ Joseph Agbeko, who is handled by Don King.
Neither of the two is a Top Rank fighter. Would Donaire test the waters of free agency in such a scenario?
?I got to secure this fight because I think personally that my contract?s ending [with Top Rank],? he said. ?They had to give me something to keep me going. They gave me an option of a two-fight contract [last year]. I had to beat Sidorenko to get to Montiel and I did that.?
Undoubtedly, Saturday?s objective is not to pursue a Mares or Agbeko bout under a different promotional banner. The purpose is not to chase any potential dollars in a rumored Koki Kameda fight in Tokyo or even a move up to super bantamweight. Nor is it to come out of the shadow of Manny Pacquiao.
Right now, the ultimate goal is to win. Nothing more, nothing less.
?We want a knockout,? Donaire said bluntly. ?That?s what I want, an early knockout win. If we come out there and it gets generally becomes too dangerous, then you know what? There?s always several ways to defeat an opponent. I have so much style, so much of a game plan in my head; if Plan A or Plan B or Plan C doesn?t work, we always have Plan D through Z, so I?m ready. I?ve been waiting for my time and now that it?s here, I?m coming to win.?
His manager echoes those sentiments.
?[Nonito?s] been waiting for this and it will change his whole life if he can win this fight,? said Dunkin.
As Nonito Donaire attempts to join the rarified air of the greats he emulates, if all goes according to plan this Saturday night, kids in gyms all across the Philippines and the Bay Area will one day partake in their own stylistic tributes of the man who would be bantamweight king.
Ryan can be reached via e-mail at [email protected], on Facebook at facebook.com/rmaq28, or follow his Twitter, where his username is @rmaq28.
