Rachel’s role in Donaire’s career
By Marc Anthony ReyesPhilippine Daily Inquirer
CARSON, California—For most part, Nonito Donaire Jr., lets his fists do the talking. But outside the ring, the four-division champion allows his beautiful wife Rachel to take charge.
Rachel broke convention not only as inspiration for her world champion husband, but as an active player with a major role in Nonito’s thriving career.
“She helps me out because I don’t have a negotiating power,’’ Nonito told the Inquirer Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) after a workout at Boxing Works Gym. “And sometimes I don’t have the guts to tell people things I want to tell them when I’m in front of them.’’
In the afternoon, he drove to the ESPN studios to promote his IBF/WBO super bantamweight title fight against Toshiaki Nishioka of Japan on Saturday at Home Depot Center here.
“If I have something to say, I tell her this is what you’re gonna say and she’ll tell it the way I want it,’’ added Nonito. “We’re like a tandem. We are a good team. I think it’s good that the person helping you is the one you trust the most.’’
Rachel is not a stranger in the fight business as she used to be a national taekwondo player for both the Philippines and the United States. She was also a many time champion in US military games.
“I understand what he goes through because I know what he goes through as an athlete because I’m an athlete myself,” Rachel said in a previous interview. “I know how it takes to cut weight and train hard for competition.’’
Nonito maintained that Rachel doesn’t interfere with his career although her family is also involved whenever he fights. Her dad, airline mechanic Gerry Marcial, heads Team Donaire’s security team. Her mom Rebecca is present in almost all of his fights, taking pictures and handing after-party invitations.
“I have a manager (Cameron Dunkin) and when it comes to choosing my opponents, it’s the call of Top Rank and HBO,’’ said Nonito.
“So everything we do and everything that’s happening is up to us, it’s up to the couple,’’ Nonito continued. “We make decisions together. It doesn’t matter if you’re a boxer. Or if you’re macho or with a soft side. You don’t hide anything from each other because your partner will see it.”
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