'Filipino Flash' Donaire arrives in Manila

MANILA, Philippines - Filipino boxing champ Nonito Donaire Jr. arrived in Manila on Wednesday morning weeks after his victorious fight over Fernando Montiel of Mexico.
The "Filipino Flash," the newly-crowned World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight champion, arrived with his wife Rachel.
In an exclusive interview with ABS-CBN News reporter Dyan Castillejo, Donaire said he was really excited to return to the Philippines to thank all Filipinos for the support and prayers that was given to him.
"Excited na excited kami to be home and just to say thank you to everyone, sa lahat ng support and prayers kasi kailangan ko 'yon nang pumunta ako sa ring. With the boos and the yeheys na galing sa Filipinos nabigyan ako ng energy," Donaire said.
Donaire said that he would like to face World Boxing Association (WBA) bantamweight champion Anselmo Moreno in his next fight in May.
"One possibility si Moreno. (Koki) Kameda is a WBA champion din, but si Moreno iyong super champion. Siya po ang number 2 in the bantamweight, ako ang number one ngayon. Siya ang number 2 at gusto kong makalaban ang number 2, si Moreno, but then mayroon din pong si (Joseph) Agbeko at (Abner) Mares," he said.
Preparing for wedding
In the interview, Donaire and his wife said that one major reason for visiting the Philippines is to prepare for their much-awaited wedding on November 11 this year.
"I mean after he has all his obligations then we will sit down with our wedding planner and make sure whatever else has been set. Kasi every single time he fights like two, 3 months go by really fast and we don't even know that it went by and the wedding is creeping up really fast and I don't think we have everything set up yet," Rachel said.
The couple is set to tie the knot after the much-talked about feud between Donaire and his father.
The boxing champion was even involved in a word war between sports journalists, who, according to him accused his wife of having caused the rift between him and his father.

Donaire on Montiel and marriage

MANILA, Philippines - Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire Jr. is back in the Philippines, following his huge knockout victory over Fernando Montiel.
The champ recounted his experience in the ring, when he defeated the Mexican to become the World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight champion.
“It was the biggest fight of my life so far, my career actually. Montiel is a tremendous champion. He not only has title after title in many different weight classes, I mean, Montiel was a very formidable opponent. And to take him out the way I did, was a very big statement and it shocked the whole boxing world,” said Donaire in an interview with ANC’s sports show, Hardball.
The champ was with his wife Rachel, who recalled just how confident "The Flash" was going into the fight.
“He actually predicted second round, December pa... He told everyone second round, second round,” said Rachel.
“A lot of my friends won a lot of money,” said Donaire.
Donaire and his wife are also planning a wedding, a renewal of vows later this year on a date that will be hard to forget.
“[On] 11-11-11 (Nov. 11, 2011),” said Rachel. “He won his first title in IBF (International Boxing federation) and International Boxing Organization (IBO) on 7-7-7, we got married 8-8-8. It’s easier for him to remember it.”
Later on, things got serious in the interview, as the champ talked about his possible fight against Panama's Anselmo Moreno in May.
A win over Moreno will unify the bantamweight belts, and make Donaire the undisputed champion of the division.
“I think that is the best key (unifying the titles). It’s good for boxing. And I seek to prove more to myself and to everyone out there by taking the best in the division. And I just want to do that. And I think that is my goal in boxing. To beat the very best of the competition that that weight can offer me,” he said.
“Right now, I'm on a high. My mentality is, I need to learn more techniques, I need to get better. But nandun ‘yung mentality ko na I'm very confident. I want to take on the very best possibly in the weight class,” Donaire added.
The Donaires plan to stay in the Philippines for three weeks, before heading back to the United States to start training camp.

Arum offers Donaire $1M

MANILA, Philippines – Boxing promoter Bob Arum offered to raise Nonito Donaire Jr.’s boxing purse to US$1 million in 6 months in a bid to keep the “Filipino Flash” in his stable.
The development came out amid reports that Donaire is planning to sever his ties with Arum’s Top Rank Inc., the company that has been promoting his recent fights.
"I think that, within six months, yes, Donaire would absolutely get to the million-dollar purse level," Arum said in Examiner.com.
For now, Arum said Top Rank is planning to double Donaire's minimum purse for his next fight.
"His minimum for the next fight is only $250,000, but we will pay him $500,000," he said.
Aside from winning the World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Organization(WBO) titles, Donaire earned a $350,000 fight purse in his 2nd-round technical knockout victory over Mexico’s Fernando Montiel last February.
Arum is working to book Donaire for a May 28 fight against World Boxing Association (WBA) bantamweight titlist Anselmo Moreno of Panama.
Moreno, however, rejected the $350,000 purse being offered for the Donaire fight.
3 fights in 1 year
Arum earlier insisted that Donaire remains under contract with Top Rank after the Filipino reportedly declared himself a free agent.
The promoter said Donaire's contract with Top Rank will expire on June 26. He added that the contract contains a “12-month extension" clause at Top Rank’s sole discretion.
Donaire’s wife Rachel said his husband is unhappy with the way Top Rank managed his fights.
“It (Top Rank) says three fights a year but look at (boxing website) BoxRec and see his fights for the last three years,” she told Philstar.com.
In 2008, Donaire was only able to fight once against boxer Moruti Mthalane.
The following year, the Filipino clashed against Raul Martinez and Rafael Concepcion.
It was only in 2010 that Donaire was able to fight thrice. These fights were against Manuel Vargas, Hernan Marquez and Wladmir Sidorenko.
No breach of contract
Arum, however, stressed that there was no breach of contract on their part.
"In fact, in the first year, Donaire was suspended twice physically so that twice tolled the contract. Adding in the time we lost it pushes the contract to 2013."
Arum claimed he has already spoken to Donaire's manager Cameron Dunkin, regarding the situation.
"We spoke to Dunkin and he's betwixt and between. He is just caught in the middle. Dunkin understands our position. Dunkin supports our position but he's stuck in the middle," he said.
To resolve the conflict, Arum suggested that Filipino Flash should just stay with the company.
"What this kid has to do now is live up to the contract," he said.
Meanwhile, Donaire is mum on his decision whether he will stay with Top Rank.
He is reportedly being wooed by Top Rank’s direct competitor, Oscar de la Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions (GBP).

Filipino star Donaire signs De la Hoya deal

LOS ANGELES – Filipino boxing star Nonito Donaire, who stopped Fernando Montiel last month to take two world bantamweight titles, has signed a deal with Oscar de la Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions.
The Los Angeles firm announced Wednesday its multi-year promotional contract with the 28-year-old "Filipino Flash", a former world flyweight and super flyweight champion who collected the World Boxing Council and World Boxing Organization bantamweight titles last month.
Donaire, 26-1 with 18 knockouts and no losses in 10 years, stopped Mexico's Montiel in the second round last month and will look to defend his crowns this year, reportedly as soon as May 28 in Atlantic City against an undecided opponent.
"I'm honored to be joining so many great fighters and champions on the Golden Boy Promotions team," Donaire said. "I'm going to fight my heart out every time I'm in the ring and will give fans the fights they want to see."
Rival champions of Donaire include Panama's Anselmo Moreno and Ghana's Joseph Agbeko, who defends his International Boxing Federation crown next month against Mexico's Abner Mares.
"Nonito Donaire is one of the top boxers in the world today," De la Hoya said. "We're going to make sure he gets the chance to defend his world titles and stays as active as possible."

source|abs-cbnnews

About Nonito Donaire Jr

Nonito Donaire, Jr. (born on November 16, 1982) is a Filipino American professional boxer. He is a three-division world champion, where he won five world titles in three different boxing weight classes. He is a known switch-hitter with the ability to fight either southpaw or orthodox.His surname is often mispronounced as do-nayr but it's properly pronounced as do-nigh-reh.

Currently, Donaire is the WBC and WBO Bantamweight World Champion. He is also currently rated by The Ring as the number three pound-for-pound boxer in the world. He is the former WBA Super Flyweight Interim World Champion, IBF World Flyweight Champion and IBO World Flyweight Champion.

Personal life

Donaire was born in Talibon, Bohol and grew up in General Santos City, South Cotabato. It was in General Santos where Donaire would go to the same school as boxing icon eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao.His father Nonito Sr., a second year high school dropout, was in the Philippine Army for eight years and fought as an amateur before trying his luck alone in the US in 1990. In 1993, he had joined his father in Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California.

During their younger years, Donaire and his older brother Glenn would spar, with the younger brother being beaten often. As a kid, Donaire watched videos of his hero Alexis Argüello, using them to learn how to throw his powerful left hook.While in San Lorenzo High School in San Lorenzo, California the brothers won an assortment of regional and district amateur boxing championships.His cousin, Richard Donaire, is also a professional boxer.
Donaire was married to Rachel Marcial, a Filipino-American USA National Collegiate and Military Taekwando Champion.They were married on August 8, 2008 in a private ceremony in Carmel, California, with all their close relatives

Amateur career

As a young American amateur, Donaire won three national championships: the National Silver Gloves in 1998, National Junior Olympics in 1999, and the National USA Tournament in 2000. He also won the International Junior Olympics in 1999.Donaire's amateur record was 68-8 with 5 TKOs.

Professional career

Donaire turned professional with his brother in 2001. They signed up with promoter Jackie Kallen, who paid the boys a monthly salary of $1,500 each. After four pro bouts, among which he lost his second, Donaire and his brother Glenn left Kallen and returned to Manila with their father. Initially mulling restarting their boxing careers in the Philippines, they decided to go back to the better facilities in San Leandro, where their father felt there were fewer distractions.