Marvin Sonsona Departure Delayed Due To Visa
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
The planned departure of “Marvelous” Marvin Sonsona for Canada on Sunday in order to get acclimatized to the weather prior to his September 4 title shot against WBO super flyweight champion Jose “Carita” Lopez of Puerto Rico has been delayed because they still haven’t got their visas.
Nonito Donaire Sr who has joined trainer Jun Agrabio in preparing the undefeated 19-year old from General Santos City said indications are they will now leave sometime next week.
Donaire Sr said he was a little concerned “because of the altitude there. The air is really thin so I want Marvin to get used to the altitude. That’s very important because you get tired.”
Sonsona had his final sparring session at the Elorde Gym in Gilmore on Friday afternoon and he himself said he is feeling good and ready to hopefully give the Philippines another world title.
Donaire Sr told www.insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports that Sonsona’s training has gone well and “he is now one hundred percent condition and he’ll win this fight.”
He said Sonsona whose spectacular 2nd round knockout of former world light flyweight interim champion Wandee Singwancha earned him the title shot at Lopez due to the efforts of international matchmaker/promoter Sampson Lewkowicz and his partner, Filipino promoter Sammy Gello-ani said Sonsona “runs in the morning and if we don’t have sparring he sprints and he has no problem with sprinting” which is something Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao also does when training for a fight.
Asked about the advantages if any of Sonsona over the defending champion, Donaire Sr said “Marvin has a long reach, is much faster than Lopez besides being young.” Sonsona recently turned 19 while Lopez is 38.
While he conceded that Lopez has power, Donaire Sr said Sonsona “hits harder” and against Lopez who leaves himself “wide open when he throws punches so we are looking at that and once he opens his defense we are looking at a strategy to get him.”
Donaire Sr said Lopez has the same style as Wandee Singwancha so he is “feeling good” and believes that after “a couple more fights he will move up to bantamweight or super bantamweight.”
The father of Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire whom he trained for many years and took him to a world championship no longer trains his son who is being handled by the Penalosa brothers, former two division champion Dodie Boy and brother Jonathan.
Donaire Sr said he believes his son “will have an easy fight if he trained really hard. If he didn’t train hard then its not going to be an easy fight. If he is well-trained I know he has the power, he has the speed and the ability to beat Rafael Concepcion.”
He praised his son for being an intelligent, thinking fighter once he steps into the ring and if Concepcion throws punches and is open, Nonito will counter right away.”
