DONAIRE SPARS 12 ROUNDS, FEELS GREAT/Ronnie Nathanielsz
Former IBF/IBO flyweight champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Nonito Donaire yesterday sparred twelve rounds and is “feeling really good” in preparation for his WBA super flyweight interim title bout against former interim champion Rafael “El Torito” Concepcion of Panama.
The title fight headlines an exciting Top Rank card titled “Pinoy Power 2” at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on August 15 with hard-hitting Bernabe Concepcion going after the WBO featherweight title of Steven Luevano and promising light welterweight Mark Jason Melligen battling Michel Rosales of Mexico in a supporting bout.
Donaire is training at the “Undefeated Gym” in San Carlos, California with former two-division world champion Dodie Boy Penalosa and brother Jonathan Penalosa handling his preparation for the interim title fight.
Donaire said he sparred with former amateur David Martinez and Filipino Glenn Gonzales. He said his weight was around 125 and doesn’t forsee any problem in making the 115 limit.
The flashy Filipino is coming off a rousing 4th round TKO win over previously undefeated and highly-touted Raul “Cobra” Martinez at the Araneta Coliseum last April 19.
Donaire told BoxingScene.com, insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports that he had an advantage in height, speed, punching power and experience although he conceded that Concepcion “is a tough guy” and indicated that should the fight go twelve rounds “I’m ready for it.”
Meantime, Concepcion’s “spirits are high” according to his manager Damon De Berry of Optimum Sports Agency who told us “Rafael’s preparations are going very well and spirits are high” at the training camp in Panama.
De Berry said amateur Raul Lopez has been “one of the chief sparring partners” in preparation for the Donaire fight.
He said Lopez is a member of Team USA and fights as a bantamweight. De Berry described Lopez as “very skilled and quick.”
At the same time De Berry informed us that Team Concepcion will leave for Las Vegas on August 9.
