{"id":5328,"date":"2012-07-08T01:48:39","date_gmt":"2012-07-07T22:48:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/patnubay.org\/?p=5328"},"modified":"2019-06-22T10:39:05","modified_gmt":"2019-06-22T07:39:05","slug":"usa-a-chat-with-nonito-donaire-jr-19th-issue-of-pwd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/patnubay.org\/?p=5328","title":{"rendered":"USA: A chat with Nonito Donaire, Jr. \u2013 19th issue of PWD"},"content":{"rendered":"

First posted : pinoywatchdog.com<\/a><\/p>\n

FilAm boxing sensation insists he\u2019s a Filipino first<\/p>\n

Donaire: I\u2019ll try to make a knockout!<\/p>\n

Words and photo by:<\/strong> Dionesio C. Grava<\/p>\n

Nonito Donaire, Jr., aka Filipino Flash and touted as Pacquiao\u2019s heir apparent, declared that he is not in the business of making predictions \u201cbut I\u2019ll try to make a knockout\u201d to make people happy.<\/p>\n

The 29-year old Boholano was at the Fortune Gym in Sunset Blvd.Wednesday morning to answer questions regarding his fight to retain the IBF Super Bantamweight title against Jeffrey \u201cMongoose\u201d Mathebula\u00a0on July 7 at the Home Depot Center in Carson. They will headline a doubleheader event with Ohio champ Kelly Pavlik and Will Rosinsky of New York in the undercard.<\/p>\n

At 5 feet ten inches, the South African Mathebula is taller than Donaire by three inches. He had held the IBF Super Batamweight (2012-), the WBC International Featherweight (2005-08) and the IBO
\nIntercontinental Super Bantamweight (2003) titles.<\/p>\n

On the other hand Donaire is the current WBO Super Bantamweight title holder. He used to be the WBC Bantamweight, WBO Bantamweight, and IBF Flyweight champion. Donaire had a 28-1, 18 KOs fight record vs. Mathebula\u2019s 26-3-2, 14 KOs. Donaire is reportedly a switch-hitter with the ability to fight either southpaw or orthodox. He is also rated by the Ring as the number four pound-for-pound boxer in the world.<\/p>\n

Asked to assess his Saturday opponent, Donaire said that he had seen Mathebula fight only once. That was between him and former IBF champion Takalani Ndlovu. A good fight, he said, and Mathebula a good
\nfighter. He had also seen the guy\u2019s weaknesses but a tall guy nonetheless who used his jabs very well \u201cand that I\u2019ve got to figure out,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Donaire said that he is very excited fighting a guy who will pose a challenge to him. People might not be familiar with Mathebula but that\u2019s not surprising because nobody knows him (Donaire), too, when he was just starting. Mathebula is an incredible fighter, he assured.<\/p>\n

Donaire: \u201cI want to show that I am a full-pledged fighter. The one I\u2019m fighting is a tough guy and I\u2019m going to take him up. He\u2019s the tallest guy I\u2019ve ever fought. We\u2019re here to prove that no matter the obstacles are, we\u2019re able to take it down. I\u2019m very ready. I\u2019m confident.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added that he is pretty good. He worked hard and is comfortable with his weight class. Like his other fights, he always go after the opponent and do whatever he needs to do. Then addressing no one, he said: \u201cI\u2019m not going to sweet talk. If you want to make things happen lets make things happen. I\u2019m here to prove I\u2019m better than you guys. Fighters fight; this is what we do. Don\u2019t run.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although born in Talibon, Bohol, Nonito grew up as a child in General Santos City, South Cotabato, and was even a schoolmate of the now boxing icon Manny Pacquiao. Asked about the tag \u201cnext Pacquiao\u201d and whether he expects to take Pacquiao\u2019s place when the latter retires, Nonito replied: \u201cYou know, I\u2019m just thankful of all the fans around the world. The Filipino community has been incredible with their support and I\u2019m thankful for that, you know, but I\u2019m not here to take on anybody else job. I\u2019m here to fight and see what God has given me\u2026 see the proof of what my system is in the boxing world.\u201d<\/p>\n

The beginning<\/p>\n

The young Donaire was eleven when he joined his father, a former amateur boxer, in Los Angeles and later moved with him to the Bay Area. It was said that as a child Nonito was frail and asthmatic. On
\nNovember 2, 2008, he was reported to have an asthma attack while sparring in preparation of a fight.<\/p>\n

Asked whether he is still bothered by the ailment today, Nonito told PinoyWatchdog: \u201cI\u2019m good with my asthma. When I\u2019m training it disappears. I don\u2019t drink anymore. I used to drink a lot. It used to
\nbother me when I tone down the training. So I\u2019m keeping up my training and my asthma is nothing to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nonito was 11 when his father took him to a boxing gym to get him off the streets. When PinoyWatchdog asked about it, he recalled: \u201cI did it because I did it. It was just one the family did and I did it. But now I enjoy, I love it. I love being here.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said that when he and his dad separated ways because the latter exercised too much control it was choking him, he decided to quit boxing. However, he returned to boxing later and that was when he
\nrealized he love the sport. \u201cI learned that being your own man is something that makes you happier,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Does he dread being hit? His response: \u201cIt\u2019s a normal thing now. I don\u2019t mind getting hit now. Back then I mind it, you know, but now I\u2019m a full-pledged fighter, a full-pledged warrior. I don\u2019t mind bleeding a little bit. I don\u2019t mind hurting a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n

There is also the part where fighters have to entertain the crowd. It\u2019s part of their career, he said, and the crowd want to see more of it. He is going to do it for friends and for fans. The whole world must see that there are two guys out there willing to take it all the way.<\/p>\n

It may be noted here that prior to the talk with Donaire, this reporter had a chat with Top Rank\u2019s Bob Arum, promoter of the coming Donaire-Mathebula fight. At one point Arum mentioned that Donaire is
\nmore American than Filipino. The matter was brought to the attention of the FilAm boxer. And we sensed he was a bit touchy in responding: \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter whether American or Filipino. I know my language and know who I am. I love my country and it doesn\u2019t matter if I\u2019m more American or more Filipino. When it comes to that we\u2019re all Filipinos, you know, as long as you believe and you carry the flag you\u2019re Filipino. That\u2019s who I am.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

First posted : pinoywatchdog.com FilAm boxing sensation insists he\u2019s a Filipino first Donaire: I\u2019ll try to make a knockout! Words and photo by: Dionesio C. Grava Nonito Donaire, Jr., aka Filipino Flash and touted as…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":5350,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[16,17,33],"tags":[84,101],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/patnubay.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5328"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/patnubay.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/patnubay.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/patnubay.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/49"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/patnubay.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5328"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/patnubay.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5328\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12267,"href":"https:\/\/patnubay.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5328\/revisions\/12267"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/patnubay.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5350"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/patnubay.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5328"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/patnubay.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5328"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/patnubay.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5328"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}