Donaire Looking To Grab a Title on Showtime

By Rey Danseco

Exciting bantamweight fighter Nonito "Filipino Flash" Donaire has agreed to take another chance to capture a regional title in the United States.

On Jan. 20, Donaire takes on Kahren "Armenian Essence" Harutyunyan for the vacant North American Boxing Federation (NABF) super flyweight title in a Showtime-televised card at the Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, California.

Donaire believes he is facing the hardest fight in his young career. Harutyunyan was one of Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao’s previous sparring partners at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood.

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Currently riding a two-bout winning streak, Harutyunyan won the NABO version of the 115-pound title, a regional championship group under the World Boxing Organization (WBO), with a dominant unanimous decision over Tatsuo Hayashida on April 1, 2005, in Montebello, California.

Harutyunyan, a native of Yerevan in Armenia, has 13-2-3 record and has no knockout wins to his credit. He trains under Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach.

Donaire has scarier credentials and slightly favored coming into the fight. He is 13-1 with 8 knockouts in his four-year campaign as a pro, aside from having a fruitful experience as an amateur in the U.S.

The hard-punching native of General Santos City, but living with his father-trainer Nonito Sr. and pro-boxer brother Glenn “Filipino Bomber” Donaire in Castro Valley, California since 2003, was a veteran of the 2000 Olympic Trials where he suffered a controversial loss to 1999 National Golden Gloves champion Brian Viloria.

Donaire climbed the pro ranks and made an impressive debut with a first-round stoppage of then 5-fight veteran Jose Lazaro of Mexico on Feb. 22, 2001 in Inglewood, California.

On his next appearance, Donaire suffered his only defeat on a highly disputed unanimous decision in five rounds against American Rosendo Sanchez on March 10, 2001, in Vallejo, Calif.

But the hard-hitting young fighter has won all his next 12 bouts which include wins over Noel Alma by first round knockout and Mark Sales in 8-round unanimous decision.

In between of those fights, he captured the vacant WBO Asia Pacific flyweight belt with second round knockout of Kaichon Sor Vorapin of Thailan, at the University of Guam in Agana, Guam.

In his last outing, Donaire scored a lopsided eight-round unanimous decision over Colombian Llido Julio, who had a 33-6-1, 29 KOs record going into the bout, on Nov. 5, 2005, in Stateline, Nevada.

Donaire and Harutyunyan are both 23 years old but the 5-foot-6 Filipino has both a height and reach advantage.