By Ronnie Nathanielsz
A supremely confident WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire has advised fight fans “not to blink” when his title defense against unbeaten Jessie Magdaleno gets underway at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas on Saturday. The fight is part of the Manny Pacquiao vs. Jessie Vargas Top Rank Pay-Per-View event.
Donaire told the Manila Standard that he “feels incredible. Strong, fast, smart” and added “you name it. Its all within me. It will all come out on Saturday” in Las Vegas. While Magdaleno is comparatively small, Nonito said “he’s short but he’s heavy.”
ABS-CBN reporter Dyan Castillejo who saw Magdaleno told us “he's so small, he won’t stand a chance against Nonito.”
IN OTHER NEWS: There was plenty of shocks and scares on the Halloween weekend at JE Promotions’ seven-fight card in Maidstone on Saturday 29th October.
Firstly, the Kent-based promotional outfit had to desperately rescue the entire show after the obligatory ambulance service that has to be on standby at the venue had broken down on the motorway. A series of panicked phone calls eventually struck luck and another was scrambled to the scene allowing the show to commence almost two hours late.
Secondly, the return of the local heavyweight talent Tom Dallas ended frightfully with a second-round stoppage and his third consecutive loss, in what was meant to be his comeback fight.
Five months ago JE Promotions brought professional boxing to back Mote Park for the first time in 16 years and promoter Joe Elfidh followed up from that maiden Maidstone show with another exciting evening of boxing to please the sold-out crowd that filled every ringside table and bleacher seats; and it was very nearly a clean sweep for the JE Promotions fighters…
