by Ronnie Nathanielsz
As previously reported, WBO/IBF super bantamweight champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire arrived in Los Angeles, and worked out immediately to remain in razor-sharp form for his much-awaited battle with Japan’s classy southpaw Toshiaki Nishioka for the WBC Diamond Belt at the Home Depot Center in Carson City on October 13.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told BoxingScene.com/Manila Standard that Nishioka “is already here” although he hadn’t seen any workouts by the Japanese champion emeritus who is also reported to be training hard and in great shape for a fight he said he always wanted.
Arum said “everything is great with a lot of press coverage and big, big sales” for the fight.
All indications both from Donaire and his trainer and former world champion Robert Garcia is that Donaire wants to make a statement in this fight against a champion considered to be one of the best in the division -- and that means winning by a knockout.
Its become more imperative for Donaire following his failure to score a knockout in his fights against Andres Narvaez of Argentina in November 2011, Wilfredo Vazquez Jr of Puerto Rico from whom he won the title last February 4, and against Jeffrey Mathebula of South Africa last July 7 from whom he took the IBF crown although in both fights Donaire dropped his opponents once.
Donaire told us he has never trained harder for a fight than the one against Nishioka who hasn’t been stopped since his second pro bout in 1995. While he respects Nishioka, Donaire recalled that with a proper game-plan “will show my power which is what I was known for…lightning fast counters that were knocking people out” including Vic Darchinyan and Fernando Montiel.
Donaire said in reference to Nishioka “no matter how tough you are, if you don’t see where the punch is coming from, you don’t expect it and it will knock you down.”
Garcia pointed out that Donaire’s opponents have all been world-class fighters and knockouts don’t come easy. He conceded that while - “it won’t be easy against Nishioka. Nonito told me at the start of training camp he wanted to come in and do it the way he used to. That’s picking them apart little by little, then knocking them out.”