By Ronnie Nathanielsz
With Ring Magazine featherweight champion Manny Pacquiao emerging as a genuine superstar of the fight game and blazing a trail in the U.S. big-time promoters in America are now looking at potential future world champions and making a beeline to sign them up.
International promoter Murad Muhammad who paved the way with Pacquiao has also been instrumental in making arrangements for former WBC super flyweight champion Gerry Penalosa to train under 2002 "Trainer of the Year" Buddy McGirt, the former two-division world champion at his gym in Orlando, Florida along with No. 1 Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation champion Z "The Dream" Gorres and will soon have WBO Asia Pacific bantamweight champion Rey Bautista also train under McGirt. Murad has also been given the authority to represent WBC featherweight champion Injin Chi of South Korea, in the process looming as the promoter of Asian fighters.
Top Rank's Bob Arum, sensing Murad's growing influence in the Asian region has also moved in and signed a promotional deal with the Donaire Brothers, Nonito and Glenn after they signed a management deal with Cameron Dunkin who has been branded as a "front man" of Arum.
Nonito "Flash" Donaire who is now fighting as a bantamweight has a ring record of 9-1 with 6 knockouts. The 22 year old won the WBO Asia Pacific flyweight title with a second round KO over Thailand's Kaichon Sor Vorapin on September 1, 2002 in Guam but didn't defend it and was stripped of the crown. In his last fight on November 12 last year Glenn scored a unanimous eight round decision over Gilberto Bolanos but his most impressive win was a fourth round TKO over Mexican Ricardo Barrera last June 18. Boxing writer Francisco Salazar said Donaire "displayed a domination performance" over the veteran Barrera who had 21 fights and had "power in both hands." With Barrera's left eye almost completely shut because of Donaire's speedy combinations referee Jerry Cantu stopped the fight on the advice of ringside physician Pearlman Hicks. Donaire was only the second fighter to stop Barrera, the other being IBF bantamweight champion Rafael Marquez.
Flyweight Glenn "The Bomber" Donaire is a 25 year old with a13-1, 8 KO record. In his last fight Glenn scored a third round TKO over Roberto Gomez, a veteran with 29 fights. Earlier last year he scored a six round unanimous decision over Leonardo Castillo whom he decked in the first round but failed to put away. The Donaire brothers are from General Santos City and currently live in Castro Valley, California. The brothers always wear the Philippine flag on their trunks and stress that they are proud to be Filipinos.
