By Ronnie Nathanielsz

Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire is eager to resume training for a planned return to the ring in July in Macau.

The five division world champion spoke to BoxingScene/New Standard/Viva Sports around 6:00 a.m. as he was on his way to the Manila International Airport for a flight to Las Vegas, looking forward to reuniting with his wife Rachel and their son Jarrel.

Donaire said he will take a couple of days off before getting back to training with strength and conditioning coach and longtime friend Mike Bazzel who said Donaire “was like a brother.”

Donaire said he had been informed by Top Rank that he would be  featured in a fight card at the Cotai Arena in Macau sometime in July although he had no idea of who the opponent would be and other contract details.

“The Filipino Flash” was obviously pleased that for the first time in his career he had trained harder than ever and it showed even with the ABS in his body rather than a touch of flabbiness.

He said the hard work he put into his preparation for the fight against Brazil’s William Prado paid off and “made a big difference” and he is determined to continue his drive to once again win a world title.

His wife Rachel who is expecting their second son sometime in May told us that the physical condition of Nonito was because of his “off season training” which is what his strength and conditioning coach wants him to continue.

Bazzel  said he noticed that for the Prado fight Donaire “looked pretty good and more muscular.”

He believes that after Donaire’s crushing 6th round loss to the bigger and stronger featherweight super champion Nicholas “The Axe Man” Walters that Nonito “is a man on a mission and that’s part of the mission to train hard.”

Bazzel said “you’ve got to do the after care following a fight and do the preparation before you even start training camp.”

Bazzel believes Donaire is re-focused and doesn’t want to go away. He wants to continue and be even better than he was in 2012” when he was named “Fighter of the Year” after four smashing victories.

Donaire was cheered lustily by the big crowd at the Araneta Coliseum last Saturday who kept chanting his name as he demolished Prado to score a 2nd round TKO to win the WBC North American Boxing Federation title.