NEWLY CROWNED World Boxing Organization super bantamweight champion Nonito “The Filipino” Flash Donaire will make the first defense of his World Boxing Organization super bantamweight title at the Smart Araneta Coliseum either on April 16 or 23.
Donaire earlier indicated he was hoping his next title defense will be in Manila so he can repay the fans, who have supported him especially after his gallant performance against Cesar Juarez of Mexico to win the WBO super bantamweight title for the second time around.
The Standard/boxingmirror.com learned that ABS-CBN had come to terms with Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, who recently signed a three-fight deal with Donaire for 2016, Asia’s leading promotional outfit ALA Promotions and Donaire himself.
Arum previously told The Standard that Donaire would defend his title against Evgeny Gradovich, the former featherweight champion nicknamed the “Russian-Mexican” sometime in late April, after the planned Manny Pacquiao fight on April 9, although the Filipino ring icon has still to pick an opponent.
Donaire, who arrived last week from Puerto Rico via Los Angeles with wife Rachel and their two sons, said they plan to stay in the country until February, but if the title defense in Manila pushes through, he will stay and train in the country until then.
Donaire told this writer at a luncheon hosted by Gabby Lopez, the top honcho of ABS-CBN, that Gradovich has been calling him out.
And although they are friends and he was a sparring partner when he prepared for the Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. title fight, Donaire said “it’s all business and nothing personal.”
“Gradovich is like Cesar Juarez. He keeps coming forward and throws a lot of punches even when retreating,” said Donaire, who conceded that Gradovich doesn’t have too much power.
Donaire told The Standard/boxingmirro.com that he just has to study tapes of his opponent.
He also said he will fight anybody they put in front of him. “I’m ready to train, ready to go.”
The WBO super bantamweight champion a sec 5 ond time around praised his wife Rachel for his change in attitude and habits and his father/trainer Dodong Donaire for “doing an amazing job,” both during training and during the fight itself but admitted he couldn’t implement all his instructions in-between rounds because of “the freak accident” when he was tripped by Puerto Rican referee, Pena.
Donaire was happy to have redeemed his reputation with the brutal “Fight of the Year’ candidate and welcomed the tremendous response he has received for his remarkable performance against a fighter of the caliber of Juarez.
Gradovich, a fleet-footed southpaw with quick hands and a fighter, who throws a lot of punches even when back-pedaling, won the featherweight title by a ninth-round TKO in a rematch with Australia’s Billy Dib on Nov. 24, 2013 after winning the title via a 12-round split decision on March 1, 2013.
Despite putting on a game defense of his title on May 30 this year, Gradovich lost by an eighth-round technical decision to Britain’s Lee Selby last Oct. 24.