Sports Eye
Fearless forecast: Donaire, Jr. will win
By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.
THREE WEEKS from now, the much-awaited unification bout for the super bantamweight (122 lbs.) division between Filipino world champ Nonito Donaire, Jr. of World Boxing Organization (WBO) and Cuban world titlist Guillermo Rigondeaux of World Boxing Association (WBA) will definitely push through on April 13 at Radio City Music Mall in New York City. Of course, Filipino boxing fans favor Donaire to win and most probably via stoppage echoing Marco Antonio Barrera’s statement that the fellow born in Talibon, Bohol will win.
Boxing connoisseurs say the two-time Olympic champion Rigondeaux with little professional experience carding only eleven professional fights with eight knockouts sans loss still boxes like an amateur. In contrast, the four-division champ Donaire totes an impressive mark of 31 wins and 20 of them via knockouts with a single loss. (Donaire’s lone loss was to Rosendo Sanchez of Mexico in 2001 via controversial split decision. That was before he became a world flyweight champion). His first taste of professional boxing belt was a sensational second round knockout victory over world rated Kaichon Sor Vorapin of Thailand to take the WBO Asia Pacific flyweight diadem held in Guam on September 9, 2002. From then on, it was an uphill climb for Donaire but all resulted in victories with his camp and boxing scribes giving him the moniker “The Filipino Flash” because of his blazing and sharp stinging punches that always stunned his foes.
“Unlike Manny Pacquiao whose style sometimes is bara-bara, Donaire is a scientific boxer that every time he throws a punch he directs it to land on any part of the body of his opponent,” said Dante Garcia Aquino, a retired Bureau of Immigration supervisor from Manaoag. “Meaning, (if possible) Donaire doesn’t want to waste his punches for nothing unlike what many boxers do,” he added. His unforgettable spectacular conquests were against world champions Vic Darchinyan, Fernando Montiel and lately Jorge Arce knocking them out cold and sending them to ‘dreamland.’ His top promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank Promotions said he’s now confident that he will soon earn millions more from the ‘pay-per-view’ purse after his Rigondeaux clash, if lucky to win. Hopefully he will. As former world featherweight champion Marco Antonio Barrera told me during my meeting with him last March 1 in Cebu City, Donaire, Jr. will win, and will be on the road to be the next boxing superhero of the Philippines. Unfortunately for him, reports say he has to deal with his strained relations with his parents particularly his father who had to to quit as his trainer. Hopefully this will be settled soon because if not I believe this will always be an emotional baggage for the future boxing icon. It is a “no-no” in the eyes of the people especially his fans (including this writer) and above all to the Almighty God.
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Despite a dismal fifth and eight finish of our two national bets in the just concluded Asian Cycling Championship held in New Delhi, India, still my heartfelt congratulations to Rustom Lim of Guimba, Nueva Ecija and our friend Ronald Oranza of Villasis. The 19 year-old Lim checked in along with 19 riders in a mad dash to the finish of the 142 kilometers road race but lacked the ‘finishing kick’ to win the gold. Oranza, 20, came in 26th and failed to improve on his eight place finish in the 40-kilometer race-against-the clock event. For your info, there are already two Pangasinan cyclists in the history of Asian cycling championship who reached the silver medal podium. They are Edgardo Pagarigan (now deceased) of barangay Bolaoen, Bugallon in 1983 held in Manila and Arnel Quirimit of barangay Palacpalac, Pozorrubio staged in Taiwan. Let me say that even how so popular basketball in the province and how hard our local cagers trained to achieve their goal, they’re nothing (now) in their Asian joust, unlike during Carlos Loyzaga’s era in 1960’s and Robert Jaworki’s time in 1970’s. What our local dribblers never-ever achieved for our province, our local riders already did it twice. Amen.
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: And Jesus Christ said, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: “That It may be well with you and you may live longer on the earth.” EPHESIANS 6: 1-3
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