Nonito Donaire Focused: Eager To Knock Narvaez Out

By Mitch Abramson
 
Nonito Donaire doesn't lack for confidence. Donaire was pretty convincing when he discussed his opponent, Omar Narvaez on Saturday night, and the advantages he believes he has over him.

“I have the height advantage, the speed advantage, and the power advantage,” Donaire said during a public workout for the media at the Kingsway Boxing Gym in Manhattan.

“But sometimes it only takes one skill to defeat another. With me, I believe that timing can defeat speed. I believe that power can be nullified by speed. So it just goes around in the circle so I just try to get my talent and prepare my talent in the balance of talent, speed and stamina. So I don’t have to worry about anything. Whatever he gives to me, I’m ready for it.”

Then, as if to reinforce the idea that he’s going to handle his business at the Garden, he dropped this pearl:

“He’s facing someone in a different world right now,” Donaire said. “If we can end it as early as the first round or as late as the 12th around- we’re always ready for anything.”
It’s important to him to not just win the fight but to look good in getting the win to be able to increase his fan base, he said.

“We want to look spectacular,” Donaire said. “When I started to be where I’m at, it’s because I accepted that boxing is a sport. But it’s also a form of entertainment. You want to entertain the people and that’s one thing that I have in my head- that I have to look spectacular.”

As for how he’s preparing to fight the undefeated Narvaez, the affable Donaire has a few ideas.

“I didn’t really watch his tape,” Donaire said. “But one thing that I think I can take advantage of is the way he stands [which is squared up]. I think I can take a lot of advantages of the way he stands, but then again, it’s really tricky. The guy’s been fighting forever. They guy is 36-years old and he’s still undefeated. He’s a legend in Argentina. He’s defended his title I think more than 12 times? So you know what kind of veteran this guy is inside the ring and that’s one thing we don’t want to overlook because he’s shorter than I am. We don’t want to look past his ability to change the weather.”

Mitch Abramson covers boxing for the New York Daily News and BoxingScene.com.