Donaire set to rebound from 2013 nightmare

WITH the concession on the expansion draft eased just a teeny-weeny bit by the PBA board, there will be at least two active players from each of the 10 PBA ballclubs that will go to the expansion pool and be made available to new teams NLEX, Blackwater and Kia.

Before this week’s board meeting,  the governors had agreed to protect all 14 players in their lineup, meaning only reserves, the injured and the practice players would be in the expansion pool.

Compared to the concessions given to new franchises in the past, protecting 12 is just a bit better than getting no concession at all.

Here’s hoping the board comes to realize the unreasonableness of the conditions they imposed. Are the three new teams happy with the revised concessions, including draft picks in the end of the first round and the start of the second?

Since the expansion draft will be staged ahead of the amateur draft, a colleague said the PBA coaches will have difficulty mapping out their plans.

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Top Rank chief Bob Arum was not at the press conference he hosted early this week for the Nonito Donaire Jr.-Simpiwe Vetyeka fight scheduled May 31 at Venetian Macau. But he was ably represented by George Foreman Jr., son of the former world heavyweight champ, who emceed the program. The 82-year-old Arum was on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

The presser was impressive. The venue was the posh Edsa Shangri-La  Hotel in Pasig, and the event was well attended by local and foreign media.

Peter Musngi of ABS-CBN, which will air the fight, also graced the affair.

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For sure no one will object that the most interesting part of the program was Nonito’s soulful speech. The Filipino Flash said the year 2012 was the highlight of his career, while 2013 was a nightmare.

“Nonito had a year for the ages in 2012,” wrote Dan Rafael on ESPN.com. “That year, he rolled to four decisive wins against quality opponents, unifying junior featherweight belts, zooming up the pound-for-pound list and claiming ‘Fighter of the year’ honors.”

Nonito echoed Rafael’s words in his speech. I don’t remember him mentioning Guillermo Rigondeaux, the two-time Olympic  gold medalist from Cuba who defeated him by unanimous decision last April.

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The loss to the Cuban forced Nonito into soul-searching. He also admitted started having doubts about himself.

“I had to ask myself who I  was, if I really want to be a boxer,” Nonito said.

Ultimately the answer boiled down to the truth that he is a boxer and he wants to master his craft.

“2013 had to happen. It had to happen for me to unleash my true potential,” Nonito said.

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HOOPVINE: The game against Jumbo Plastic last Thursday was Bobby Ray Parks’ last game for NLEX in the D-League. He is leaving soon for the US to apply for the NBA Draft. If he doesn’t make it, he’ll fly back to the Philippines to play in the PBA… There are reports that basketball coach Joe Lipa is forming a new league in partnership with Studio 23, which will cover the games. Some teams in the PBA D-League have expressed their desire to join the new league, for the simple reason that the games will be on TV.