By Dennis 'dSource' Guillermo
A few days after coming back from a hectic Philippines trip where he and his wife Rachel Marcial-Donaire had their church wedding, as well as knocking out the usual media rounds and TV appearances, an introspective Nonito Donaire, Jr. expressed to me how grateful he is for everything that has happened in his career and his life, and that he is hungrier than ever to fulfill his destiny.
"It was all meant to happen," Donaire told me while we sat at one of the bars at the Wynn in Las Vegas.
"I'm grateful for everything that happened this past few months. People have come and gone, but now I'm surrounded by those who truly care about me for who I am, and appreciate me for who I am; my wife, my friends, the people that support me, I'm blessed to have them all. I've learned a lot, and I just want to give back and inspire others, not just through boxing, but also with how I live my life."
Truth is, it hasn't been an easy road to success for Donaire. His personal life has been the subject of sports tabloids in the past, as people criticized and took shots at his character after a falling out with his father and former trainer Nonito Sr.
His boxing career was also stalled after sensational victories, not once, but twice, due to contractual disputes with former promoter Gary Shaw and current promoter Bob Arum and Top Rank.
But all's well that ends well. Donaire received a handsome 3-year promotional extension from Top Rank and was picked up by HBO for his sensational KO win against Fernando Montiel and his promising upside.
I asked him if he was bothered that there are still a lot of Filipinos that have not embraced him, and continue to criticize him or compare him to their hero Manny Pacquiao.
"It doesn't bother me. I am who I am, and I'm proud to be Filipino. All I can do is try to be a positive influence, and be the best person that I can be," Donaire replied to me and added, "Those criticisms have come from the Philippines, but here in the States, the Filipino-Americans and the boxing community have all been positive toward me. If they don't like me, what can I do? That's why I truly appreciate those that truly support me, and it just makes me want to train harder and do better for them."
Donaire has been training and sparring hard at the Top Rank Gym in Las Vegas as he prepares to climb up to 122 for the first time against former champ Wilfredo Vazquez, Jr. in San Antonio on Feb. 4.
A true student of the game, Donaire will be going up in weight the right way as he incorporates scientific training and nutrition with the help of Victor Conte and his team of coaches, and is shooting for big names at higher weight classes such as JuanMa Lopez and Yuriorkis Gamboa.
But for the moment, his focus is on putting on a show against the strong and dangerous Vazquez, after his shutout win over Omar Narvaez last October, which turned out to be snoozer. The then undefeated Argentinian came with a gameplan to simply survive, instead of fighting and going for the win.
"Even I was bored," Donaire said. "But I know Vazquez is a fighter, and he will come to fight and try to take me out. It's going to be an exciting fight."
