 |
| Nonito vs Nish |
"Look, this guy is very experienced. He’s one of those guys who’s been in there for so many years and had so much experience that he’s been in there with every type of opponent. But inside the ring he hasn’t been in against a Nonito," said Donaire’s trainer, Robert Garcia, about Nishioka.
"He hasn’t seen someone with that power he has, that thinks the way he thinks. Nonito has tremendous power and speed, and that’s really going to make the difference. I really admire those fighters that really see their opponent and know what punches are coming, and Nonito is one of those guys. This guy hasn’t been in there with nobody like Nonito, and that’s going to make the difference."
Donaire himself was cautious about assessing Nishioka’s chances, giving the longtime Japanese title-holder his due for being crafty. "He does pose a threat in terms of his speed, and knowing how to set up his power. He’s been boxing for a long time and knows a lot of tricks that can frustrate a fighter, and that’s what we don’t want to fall into."
"These guys are world champions, and they’re on top of their game and sometimes you don’t get the things that people expect. They expect a lot from me. We’re changing up our style to get more for this fight. Against Nishioka we can’t let our guard down. We have been going back to the old style of being smart."
Donaire didn’t want to predict a stoppage in this fight either, but he hasn’t lost faith in his punching power. "If it comes it comes. With the proper game plan, my power will be more dominant. That’s what I was known for."
Garcia echoed Donaire’s comments about Nonito’s lack of stoppage wins since moving up weight.
"The fighters are bigger and stronger and they’ve all been world class fighters. It all has been more difficult. These guys have been doing it for years. It won’t be easy, but this training camp he told me that he’s going to come back and fight the way he used to do it. The way he did it against Montiel, against Tyson Marquez, against Sydorenko."
"All those guys that he was just picking them apart little by little and knocking them out. He has been doing it in training against lightweights, junior lightweights and super lightweights. He’s been landing beautiful shots and combinations. I have no doubt that he will do it against Nishioka. I’m not asking or pushing for the knockout, I want him to perform well, look good and do what he did in training."
Donaire’s manager, Cameron Dunkin, was similarly enthused about the fight at hand. "This is s a fight that Nonito has wanted for a long time. It’s a great fight. Nishioka is a great champion, and these are the fights that really leave Nonito as not only one of the greatest of today, but also in history. These are the kinds of fights you really get excited about because this is really a historical fight."
Promoter Bob Arum promised that the fight would be a very special event, with Brandon Rios fighting Mike Alavarado in the co-featured bout. "The one hundred and twenty two pound championship title being defended by Nonito is going to be a classic. I had the opportunity to watch Toshiaki Nishioka when he fought Rafael Marquez in Las Vegas, and he is a terrific fighter. We know that Nonito is one of the great fighters in boxing, but he’s going to have his hands full with a tough competitor like Nishioka. I really believe that this fight will be as exciting and interesting as the co-feature, with Brandon Rios and Mike Alvarado. Hell of a night of boxing at the Home Depot, we’ve sold over five thousand tickets. Were looking for a crowd of around seven thousand, which will be a virtual sellout, so we’re very excited."
