By Ronnie Nathanielsz
WBA super flyweight interim champion Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire (23-1, 15 KO's) wants to move up to bantamweight for his planned July 10 bout on the undercard of the Juan Manuel "Juanma" Lopez-Bernabe Concepcion WBO featherweight title fight and doesn’t want to fight super flyweight Hernan "Tyson" Marquez (27-1, 20 KO's) who is being lined up as his opponent by Top Rank promoter Bob Arum.
Donaire told BoxingScene.com "I want to fight at 118 and I want them to find another guy" even as he indicated he hadn’t agreed to fight the hard-hitting southpaw Marquez who, in his last fight, was completely out-boxed by Filipino southpaw Richie Mepranum at the Gaylord Hotel in Dallas, Texas on March 13.
Donaire said that while he didn’t wish to talk badly about another fighter he pointed out that the 21 year old Marquez was beaten by Mepranum and there was nothing to gain by fighting him. Donaire said "he is not even worth it."
Donaire said "I don’t know what’s going on. They won’t give me Eric Morel" who reportedly turned down an offer by Top Rank for Donaire to replace the injured Jorge Arce in a June 26 WBO bantamweight title fight and said he would wait for the cut under Arce’s right eyebrow to heal.
The 27 year old Donaire said "I’m trying to fight a guy who has a good name." He said he would talk to his manager Cameron Dunkin about it.
Despite the uncertainty and his own frustrations the Ring Magazine No. 4 on the pound-for-pound list told us he is "training hard and staying in shape. Training has been good."
