Donaire invokes MSG boxing greats - looks to join them!

The Filipino Flash slays Vic Darchinyan

Bantamweight Champion Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire took a break from his training today to address the media via international conference call in promotion for his upcoming fight against the undefeated Omar Narvaez, scheduled for Oct 22 at Madison Square Garden. Donaire was joined on the call by his promoter Bob Arum, as well as by his trainer Robert Garcia and his manager Cameron Dunkin. Donaire assured reporters that he is by no means taking this upcoming fight against Narvaez lightly, "Our opponent has two hands and the ability to train. We're not taking anything away from him. But I believe my power is enough to change a fight. The most satisfying victory is a knockout victory and I look for that."

"No prediction on the fight but I want to get him as early as I can and not get hit."

Donaire seemed genuinely excited about the opportunity to fight at Madison Square Garden. He invoked the names of legendary fighters who've fought there in the past and he clearly looks forward to joining them. "To fight at Madison Square Garden, it's a historical place with a long list of fighters, it's an honor to fight there and to prove like Jack Dempsey and those old school Irish and Jewish fighters, that I have some old school in me too. Looking at the old time fights, names like Sugar Ray Robinson, Carmen Basilio. Those guys were incredible, they fought with everything, they fought with no fear, they fought their opponents over and over again regardless, they just showed incredible heart and a great history of boxing and that is something I want to bring out there. We're gonna put an energy there like Dempsey and Tyson did. That's how I am as a fighter."

Promoter Bob Arum talked about the history of boxing at Madison Square Garden and his connection to that history through Top Rank, "Forty years ago, Top Rank did it's first fight at Madison Square Garden and it was Muhammad Ali vs Oscar Bonavena. Back in those days, the fight scene was centered on the East Coast where the fighters tended to be higher weights and in the West the fighters were primarily lighter weights. All that's changed. It's a different world, it doesn't matter the size of the fighters now. The idea that a bantamweight fight would be at Madison Square Garden in the 60's and 70's was unheard of but it's different now. The last 40 years have really flown by but it's so great for me personally to be back at the Garden with Nonito Donaire and of course we're back again at the Garden on December 3rd for Cotto against Margarito."     

"We're looking forward to unveiling Nonito Donaire and his talents. There's nothing like Madison Square Garden."

When asked, Donaire analyzed the punch sequence which resulted in his devastating second round KO of Fernando Montiel last February, "Most of the punches I see coming. I didn't expect him to throw a looping right. I was expecting a hook and I just sat on it and when he threw it looping straight - that was his mistake because I was set with the hook. We predicted the fight would end like that and it did." Promoter Bob Arum was a bit more blunt about the punch, "Nonito caved in Montiel's face, and it was as scary as shit!"

Scary as shit KO!

Asked about the hardest punch he has ever been hit with in the ring, Donaire talked about a punch he took from an opponent early in his career, "It was in my 6th or 7th pro fight. I knocked the guy out in the second round but he buckled my knees. I didn't fall, I stood my ground and I knocked the guy out right after that." Asked if the size difference between he and Narvaez will make a difference in the fight, Donaire said, "It's not always about size. If you're the better fighter, you can beat anybody." Donaire of course is a hard punching powerful bantamweight who has been struggling of late to make the bantamweight weight limit of 118 pounds.

Boxing fans anticipate a move up to junior featherweight and featherweight for Donaire, where high profile matches against fighters like Toshiaki Nishioka and Yuriorkis Gamboa await him. 

Nonito Donaire fights Omar Narvaez at Madison Square Garden on October 22nd. The fight will air live on HBO Boxing After Dark. Hit play below to hear all of what Nonito Donaire, Bob Arum, and Robert Garcia had to say.