Donaire plans 2 more fights this year

MANILA, Philippines - WBC/WBO bantamweight champion Nonito (The Filipino Flash) Donaire said yesterday he plans to fight twice more before the year ends and will start training next week at the Undisputed Gym in San Carlos, Northern California, for a bout in October.

Donaire and his wife Rachel quietly arrived in Manila last Thursday. They came to celebrate Rachel’s sister Nicole’s 25th birthday. Rachel’s parents Gerry and Becky also flew in from the US for the party last Sunday. Nicole is taking up nursing in a Parañaque school. Donaire and Rachel leave today for Tokyo where they will spend a few days as guests of Dr. Osamu Kato. From Tokyo, they take off for Las Vegas. Then, Donaire and Rachel will drive 10 hours to San Mateo where they intend to be based during training camp.

Donaire recently came to terms on a contract extension with Top Rank. The deal involves at least six fights. It took about a month to hammer out the details of the new agreement but Donaire said now that the negotiation is over, he can’t wait to get back into the ring.

“We’re excited,” said Rachel who played a major role in the extension. “We went back and forth with the terms before we came to an agreement. (Donaire’s manager) Cameron (Dunkin) was involved. (Top Rank president) Todd (duBeof) put everything together. We met at the Top Rank office in Las Vegas and we were warmly received by Bob (Arum). We mapped out Nonito’s future plans and we’re ready to roll.”

Donaire, who hasn’t fought since pulverizing Fernando Montiel for the WBC and WBO titles last February, said he’s looking forward to a unification bantamweight championship fight in October. “It won’t be against just any challenger,” said Donaire. “I want a unification. We’re looking at Oct. 1 or 15. I still don’t know whom I’ll fight but I’d prefer a champion. It could be a Japanese or a Panamanian or whomever. Then, I’m hoping to fight in the undercard of the Antonio Margarito-Miguel Cotto main event at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 3. In between, on Nov. 11, Rachel and I will formalize our wedding vows at a Church wedding in Alabang.”

Donaire said if his fight on Dec. 3 pushes through, he’ll train for it in Manila because of the proximity of his wedding. He mentioned that the fight will likely be for the superbantamweight title.

“I’ve just been relaxing since my last fight,” said Donaire. “I know my body and if I begin training next week, I should be able to put in eight to 10 weeks of training for my fight in October. I arrived in Manila weighing 135 pounds but I’ve been doing a lot of eating and in a few days, I was up to 142. But that’s no problem. When I start working out, I’ll get to my weight level.”

The day Donaire arrived last Thursday, he worked out with trainer Jonathan Penalosa who will join his camp in San Carlos. Chief second Robert Garcia will supervise Donaire’s training.

In October, Donaire’s opponent could be WBA “super” bantamweight champion Anselmo Moreno of Panama or WBA “regular” bantamweight titlist Koki Kameda of Japan or the winner of the Aug. 13 bout between IBF ruler Joseph Agbeko of Ghana and Abner Mares of Mexico. Moreno, 26, is fresh from stopping Lorenzo Parra while Kameda, 24, will make the second defense of his WBA crown against David de la Mora in Tokyo on Aug. 31.

A remote option is IBO bantamweight king Vic Darchinyan whom Donaire dethroned as IBF flyweight champion on a fifth round knockout in 2007. Darchinyan will defend the IBO throne against Evans Mbamba in Armenia on Sept. 3. Given the schedule of the different world bantamweight champions, it appears that only Moreno will be available for an October outing. Donaire and Moreno would’ve squared off last May if not for the contractual problems that cropped up when the Filipino Flash inked a contract with Golden Boy presuming his Top Rank deal was no longer in force. Top Rank’s contract was later ruled to be valid by arbitrator Daniel Weinstein.

WBO superbantamweight champion Jorge Arce of Mexico is a possible opponent for Donaire in December. “We know Arce is looking for a big money fight,” said Donaire. “I don’t know if he’ll want to fight. But I’ll take on anyone whom my manager and Top Rank put in front of me.”

Arce, 32, wrested the WBO superbantamweight crown from Wilfredo Vazquez, Jr. on a dramatic 12th round stoppage in Las Vegas last May. The win raised Arce’s record to 57-6-2, with 44 KOs. He has not signed a contract for his next fight.

Joaquin Henson, Philippine Star