FORMER five-division world champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” wants to exceed his 2012 performance, when he was named “Fighter of the Year” with four smashing victories against top-notch opponents such as Fernando Montiel, Jorge Arce, Jeffrey Mathebula and Toshiaki Nishioka and was No. 5 on the Ring Magazine pound-for-pound roster.
“I want to go beyond the glory days of 2012. I feel great and am grateful for the opportunity to have a second chance, a second opportunity to better myself,” Donaire told The Standard/boxingmirror.com.
Donaire is likely to defend his newly won WBO super bantamweight title against No. 4-ranked former Hungarian Olympian Zsolt Bedak on April 23 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“I am not going to waste time, not training and waiting for my opponents to comply or waiting for the contract,” said Donaire. “In the past, I waited for a contract but now I am training, keep learning and keep getting better. I’ll be ready for whomever they put in front of me.”
With Bedak looking as the likely challenger, Donaire said: “I want to have an impressive victory again. Go out there and let people see I am getting better and better each time.”
Donaire, who is 33 years old, emphasized that “age makes no difference. I’ll just stay healthy and train harder than before.”
He said he didn’t know anything about Bedak yet and said he would study tapes of his fights with his trainer/father Dodong Donaire when he begins training in Las Vegas after the Philippine Sportswriters Association annual awards night on Feb. 13 where he, the longest-reigning Filipino champion Donnie “Ahas” Nietes, the WBO light flyweight king, and young golfer Miguel Tabuena will receive the “Athlete of the Year’ awards.
“I am very honored and very thankful for the award. I accept the award with pride. They will see more of me in the years ahead,” Donaire said.