Donaire to train at ALA Gym in Cebu for 2 weeks By Ronnie Nathanielsz/ manilastandardtoday NONITO “The Filipino Flash” Donaire plans to train for two weeks at the ALA Gym in Cebu in preparation for his March 28 ring return at the Mall of Asia Arena in a big fight card that will include a title defense by World Boxing Organization light flyweight champion Donnie “Ahas” Nietes and undefeated International Boxing Federation Intercontinental super bantamweight champion Prince Albert Pagara. Donaire’s wife Rachel told the Manila Standard/Viva Sports that they plan to arrive in Manila by the end of February and would spend a week in Manila to give ABS-CBN a chance to hold a press conference and undertake other promotional activities for the fight. It will be Donaire’s first fight since he lost the World Boxing Association featherweight super title to Jamaica’s bigger and stronger Nicholas Walters by a sixth-round TKO. Donaire is moving down to super bantamweight, where he was most successful winning four big fights in 2012 and earning the honor of being named Fighter of the Year, while crashing into the Top 5 in the Ring Magazine pound-for-pound listing. Rachel said her husband is currently training with his father, Nonito “Dodong” Donaire Sr. at a boxing and fitness gym in Oakland, California and only visits her and son Jarel during weekends when he takes a break after a hard training regimen. She said they would rent a condo-type place in Cebu with a kitchen so she could watch Nonito’s diet because the last time he was there to train, they stayed at the Marriot Hotel and ate whatever was available, which resulted in Donaire putting on excess weight prior to his title fight against WBA featherweight super champion Simpiwe Vetyeka of South Africa in Macau. After his two-week training stint at the ALA Gym, where he can have some of the best sparring available, Donaire will return to Manila one week before the fight. The five-division world champion is looking to make an impressive comeback, although as of now, there is no word on who his opponent will be. ALA Promotions’ president Michael Aldeguer said he would ask Zanfer Promotions Fernando Beltran to look for a solid Mexican opponent. copyright photo: Mary Ann Lurie Owen
Posted on: Thu, 15 Jan 2015 17:07:26 +0000
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