Donaire begins training for title defense

FIVE-DIVISION  world champion Nonito Donaire Jr. wants his next fight against Russian challenger Evgeny Gradovich staged in the country, particularly at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Gradovich will try to wrest the WBO super bantamweight belt the “Filipino Flash” recently won over Mexican Cesar Juarez in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Donaire has started training for his title defense in Cebu, which I understand promoter Bob Arum had initially considered as the site of his next fight.

But there was a hitch: ALA’s next fight card is scheduled in February—too close a date for the Donaire fight.

The good news is Arum, in consultation with the Araneta family, has announced that the Big Dome will be available on April 23, the new designated date for the Donaire-Gradovich fight.

With two big fights on deck,  April is certainly a month to look forward to. Manny Pacquiao is also slated to fight Timothy Bradley for a third time on April 9 in Las Vegas.

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Even before he became pound-for-pound king last year, prior to his fight with Filipino-Hawaiian Bryan Viloria last Oct. 17, Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez already knew Donnie Nietes, the longest-reigning Filipino world champion. The two had already discussed the possibility of a fight but nothing has come out of the initial talks.

Nietes found the opportunity to challenge Gonzalez again after winning his most recent fight in Carson City, California, in October.

Gonzalez didn’t respond and Nietes did not pursue his challenge. Nietes said he  wanted to avenge Viloria’s defeat to the Nicaraguan.

Some weeks passed before Gonzalez was interviewed about Nietes’ taunt. Gonzalez, 28, said he didn’t think Nietes was serious when he called him out to a fight.

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“I  doubt  if he really wants to fight me,” said  the undefeated Gonzalez said. “I’ve met him twice when we were still campaigning in the lower ranks.”

“I met him in Mexico to talk about a possible fight, but he didn’t want to.”