The father and trainer of IBF/IBO flyweight champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire says the champion is ready to fight Mexican warrior Jorge Arce even at the bantamweight limit of 118 pounds.
In an overseas telephone conversation with Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today,. Nonito Donaire Sr. said Donaire’s manager Cameron Dunkin was scheduled to meet with Top Rank promoter Bob Arum in New York where Dunkin’s fighter Kelly Pavlik battles Jermain Taylor on Saturday, to discuss the Donaire-Arce showdown.
The father/manager said the fight would take place on December 1 at The Pit om Alburquerque, New Mexico and only details of the purse had to be finalized.
He said the IBF/IBO champion who won the title with a spectacular one-punch knockout of cocky Australian Vic Darchinyan last July has begun training for the Arce fight at the US Karate and Boxing Gym in Haywood, California. Video footage obtained by Viva Sports of Marco Antonio Barrera training in Guadalajara for his October 6 rematch with Manny Pacquiao showed Arce accompanying Barrera and training at the same Ringside gym.
Donaire Sr said that there was no way Arce can come down to the flyweight limit of 112 pounds and that “if he can go down to 115 we’ll take him on at that weight or even at 118,” pointing out that Nonito Jr was “not small even at 118” which is the bantamweight limit.
Nonito Sr was obviously not impressed by Arce’s recent win in the WBC Latino bantamweight title fight over Tomas Rojas saying “Arce got beat but he connected with a lucky punch to the body ” to win by a sixth round TKO which reminded him of Gerry Penalosa who won the WBO bantamweight title with a seventh round KO of Jhonny Gonzales whom he nailed with one perfect hook to the body.
The father-trainer said they had already informed Dunkin that Nonito would train at the ALA Gym in Cebu City and indicated they would leave for Manila after the champion’s manager returns from New York. Arce has a record of 47-4-1 with 36 KO’s while the 24 year old Donaire’s record is 18-1 with 11 knockouts.
