Nonito Donaire: Vetyeka Fight Signals a New Beginning

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

NONITO Donaire, who has driven himself endlessly in training for his World Boxing Association featherweight title fight against tough Simpiwe Vetyeka of South Africa in Macau on May 31, is determined to give the fans at the Cotai Arena venue and the millions who follow the telecast on ABS-CBN on June 1 at 10:15 a.m. “a really good fight.”

Donaire, who sparred nine rounds at the Gold’s Gym in Alabang at high noon on the eve of his departure for Macau, told BoxingScene.com/Manila Standard that the fans who are going to the fight or watching on television are “a definite motivation.”

Donaire sparred with former World Boxing Council Silver super bantamweight champion Sylvester Lopez and featherweight Virgilio Nebran and finished strong after a somewhat sluggish beginning.

Reflecting on his rigorous training regimen, Donaire said: “We are almost there. We’ll be ready when we get there.”

Donaire was chastened by his loss to Guillermo Rigondeaux and his struggle in a rematch against Vic Darchinyan, where he was behind on points on the scorecards of the three judges going into the ninth round. But he eventually dropped Darchinyan and caught him with a flurry of punches, forcing referee Laurence Cole to call a halt.

“The fight against Vetyeka signals a new beginning,” said Donaire, who has trained harder than ever before and has also watched tapes of his opponent, along with his father/trainer Dodong Donaire Sr. for the first time since his spectacular fifth-round knockout of Darchinyan to win the International Boxing Federation/International Boxing Organization flyweight belts on July 7, 2007.

“I’m trying to show that I have more after people looked at me as one of the top guys out there before,” said Donaire, whose ultimate target is seven world titles in different weight divisions, one less that Fighter of the Decade Manny Pacquiao’s eight.

His initial target is to unify the featherweight division by winning all the belts.

Donaire also posted photos on twitter showing Voluntary Anti Doping Agency testing today.

One of the first advocates of year round random drug tests, Donaire revealed “VADA was at my door in Manila at 7 a.m. to take a random urine and blood sample.”