FIVE-DIVISION world champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash’ Donaire and his trainer/father Dodong Donaire have warned unbeaten Prince Albert Pagara that his rugged opponent Cesar Juarez of Mexico “is really tough,” telling him to be in great shape to fend off the aggressive Mexican.
“If Juarez is 100 percent in shape, it’s going to be pretty tough for Pagara,” Dodong Donaire told The Standard, recalling that his son himself had a hard time in the second half of their title fight, described as “brutal.”
However, the two knockdowns scored by Donaire in the fourth round and his counter-punching off the ropes in the championship rounds made all the difference in an eventually lopsided win in December 2015 to win the vacant WBO super bantamweight title.
ABS-CBN’s Bev Llorente quoted Donaire, who said Juarez “is very tough but isn’t such a skilled fighter. But he is courageous and strong and charges forward. All he knows is to take the fight to you.”
The younger Donaire added: “I was very surprised because whenever I hit him, he just takes it. I’ve never faced anyone so courageous.”
Donare added that Pagara should watch out for Juarez’s volume punches, noting that “if you get tired, that’s when you feel the power of his punches but they are not that powerful.”
Donaire, who has sparred with Pagara in the past, said the Filipino needs to work on his defense since Juarez is a strong fighter.
But he believes Pagara can drop Juarez.
“Pagara is very promising. Pagara has a lot of future looking at him. He is a very capable fighter. His advantage is that he is taller and strong. He just has to keep his distance. Let Juarez come in because I know Pagara is strong and his style is tailor-made for Pagara,” Donaire said. “I feel he will knock out Juarez. He is one of the few fighters from the ALA Gym, who trains hard so I know he is ready to face Juarez.”