Nonito Donaire looks intently at Jessie Magdaleno in the face-off Thursday. Photo by Roy Luarca/iNQUIRER
Jessie Magdaleno is gunning for his first world title on Nov. 5 and he wants to do it against the “best” version of the veteran Nonito Donaire.
“I’m hoping the best Filipino Flash, the one that he was years ago, that’s what I’m hoping for because I don’t want any excuses for this fight,” said the 24-year-old Magdaleno in a report from BoxingScene.com.
“I don’t want him saying, ‘oh I wasn’t well-trained, I wasn’t well-prepared for this.’ It’s your job, you’re a professional athlete, you’re supposed to be prepared at all times.”
Magdaleno is challenging Donaire for the WBO super bantamweight title, the championship the Filipino won back in 2015.
Donaire won via unanimous decision against Cesar Juarez in Puerto Rico for the vacant belt.
Despite his recent title reign, Donaire is considered to have fallen off from his dominant form back in 2012, when he held the WBO and IBF World super bantamweight bets and was named Boxer of the Year.
Guillermo Rigondeux stopped Donaire’s 30-fight win streak in April of 2013 to unify the WBA and WBO super bantamweight belts.
And Magdaleno said it’s the Donaire of 2012 he hopes to take on in Las Vegas.
“That’s what I’m hoping for,” said Magdaleno. “I’m hoping for the best Nonito Donaire that night.”