By Joseph Herron – After his fight on Saturday night, Nonito Donaire stated that this was the hardest he had ever trained for a prizefight. During the meticulous hours of training, different members of his team would tell him, “Nonito, you’re the best…you have so much talent…there is no equal in boxing.” Victor Conte, his conditioning coach, even told him that he was turning into a “Monster-man”; something that he or no one else had ever seen at 118lbs. After destroying the former Bantamweight Champ, Fernando Montiel, with one perfect left hook to the temple midway through the second round on Saturday night, Nonito Donaire is starting to believe his faithful supporters.
After the fight, Donaire told reporters that it was the hardest punch he had ever thrown. Those who were lucky enough to be at ringside believe him. I’m sure that Montiel’s supporters would say that Nonito’s check left hook was one of the hardest punches thrown at that weight, possibly in the history of the division. It was definitely the most devastating punch thrown in the ring since November of 2010, when Sergio Martinez landed his “home run” shot to the jaw of Punisher Paul Williams.
The new WBO and WBC Bantamweight Champion told reporters after the fight that his next order of business was to become the undisputed and universally recognized Bantamweight champion of the world. In order to do this, Donaire would ultimately have to face the winner of the Agbeko/Mares fight, which takes place in April. If “King Kong” Agbeko isn’t victorious, it’s highly unlikely he will get that opportunity. Abner Mares is represented by Golden Boy Promotions who has a history of bad blood with Donaire’s promoter, Bob Arum..
That’s ultimately OK with Donaire and his team. The Filipino Flash told ringside reporters that he feels he can go as high as 135lbs to find an opponent. “I think I can fight as heavy as 130 or 135 because of how much bigger I have become.” A new attitude that Donaire claims is attributed to a fellow countryman. “Manny is definitely an inspiration in my career. He is an inspiration in boxing and how I want to be. I am inspired to see no impossibility. To get to 130 pounds or even more. To keep going. That’s what he wants me to do, keep moving my feet to see how far I can go.” After Saturday night, the sky is virtually the limit for the 28 year old boxer from the Philippines.
What was significantly clear to the post-fight media was the abundance of charisma and humility which shrouded Nonito Donaire like regal garb. In victory, the newly crowned champion graciously thanked the Mexican followers for coming out and supporting their fighter. Donaire gave all credit to God and everyone in his team before acknowledging his own talents. Everyone at ringside, including Donaire’s harshest skeptics, couldn’t help but to be in awe of the new Bantamweight Champion. His performance and behavior before, during, and after the fight had made him a star in the eyes of most.
But, is Nonito Donaire ready to take his seat at the table of boxing’s elite?
Donaire’s manager, Cameron Dunkin, seems to think so.
“He walked in against Darchinyan and no one gave him a chance and even his promoter didn’t give him a shot in hell to win that fight. He shocked the world and was winning every round pretty easily and then he destroyed him. So he has had his back against the wall before. I think it’s his time. He’s not a young guy as far as the lighter guys go but he is still young and healthy because he hasn’t had those hard fights. He is the best he can be and I see him doing unbelievable things in boxing starting right here. It’s his time and this is what he really wants in his life.”
The young Filipino was all smiles before and after the fight. In the immortal words of ESPN’s Stuart Scott, “he was as cool as the other side of the pillow.” It was almost as if Donaire had mapped out the entire day’s festivities in his head from beginning to end. The fight outcome was no surprise to “The Filipino Flash”. “I predicted a knock-out in the 2nd round about three months ago,” said the 118 pound champion, “I used my prediction for motivation.” Just like a schematic, Donaire followed his vision to perfection and captured the imagination of the entire boxing universe.
So what now? What if he can’t get that fight with Agbeko or Mares? Can Nonito realistically handle fighting the best at 122 and 126? Can the “Filipino Flash” go even as high as 130 and 135 as he stated earlier?
Bob Arum has big plans for his new champion.
“We have two 122 pound champions, Stevie Molitor and Miguel Vazquez from Puerto Rico, and he’s going to keep moving up in weight. We have killer featherweights, Juan Manuel Lopez and Yuriorkis Gamboa. We have fighters for him to make exceptional fights with; all the way up through 135 lbs.”
Whatever lies ahead for boxing’s newest sensation, rest assured the boxing universe will be watching with enamored eyes after Saturday night’s performance.
And in the words of Nonito Donaire, “This win is only the beginning.”