Donaire Takes Random Drug Test, Ramps Up Sparring

By Ryan Maquiñana

An agent representing the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association paid unified junior featherweight world champion Nonito Donaire an unexpected visit on Tuesday afternoon to draw blood and urine samples as part of a random drug testing program.

Jennifer Hunter, acting on behalf of VADA, and chaperone Ruben Giosa, visited Donaire and his business officer, Gilbert Martinez.  In addition to Donaire producing a large cup of urine, which was subsequently divided into “A” and “B” samples, Hunter helped procure enough blood from the fighter to fill four small test tubes.

When asked if the latter practice would weaken Donaire and deter him from working out, the reigning 122-pound titleholder insisted that it would not affect his daily routine.

“Not really,” he said.  “Before training camp with [nutritionist] Victor [Conte] to test what’s in my body, and what’s necessary for my body…we do like five tubes—bigger ones—and that would make me feel a little light-headed, but not these ones.”

Donaire has been entrenched in the last phase of training for his Oct. 13 title fight against Toshiaki Nishioka, going 12 rounds with the likes of southpaw lightweights Oscar Diaz (3-1-1, 1 KO) and amateur star Erick DeLeon, who is slated to turn pro by the end of the year.

“I feel good,” he said.  “Robert came up the other day and liked what he saw in sparring, and I’m just ready to show the fans the old Nonito Donaire.”

Last Thursday on ComcastSportsNet Bay Area’s talk show Chronicle Live , he explained to me what he meant by returning to his roots.

“It’s getting back to my old rhythm,” he said.  “The Nonito Donaire that you’ve seen lately has been more towards power, towards knocking guys out and being impatient.  I’m going back to the person who puts a good, tactical plan together, set up a good punch, and I can knock guys out with any punch because of a great strategy.”

Stay tuned for a comprehensive video as well as an article on my behind-the-scenes look at VADA’s testing procedures on BoxingScene.com later this week.

Ryan Maquiñana writes a weekly boxing column for CSNBayArea.com.  He is a full member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the Ratings Panel for Ring Magazine. E-mail him at rmaquinana@gmail.com , check out his blog at Norcalboxing.net, or follow him on Twitter: @RMaq28.