UNIFICATION FIGHT Nonito Donaire Jr. throws a right against South African Jeffrey Mathebula in the 11th round of their title unification bout at Home Depot Center in Carson City, California. Donaire won by unanimous decision. TOP RANK
MANILA, Philippines—WBO and IBF super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire Jr. Friday told the Inquirer that he abandoned a vital part of his game plan in an attempt to hammer out a knockout victory over South African Jeffrey Mathebula.
Donaire said he hopes to get back to training soon to prepare for his next bout.
“I fell in love with the power (coming from his fists),” Donaire said. “When I knocked him down, I thought I could do it again, instead of setting it up like what [trainer] Robert [Garcia] told me.
“The thing that I didn’t do was throw my straight. It would have been different if I was able to keep doing it, but I wanted a spectacular knockout.”
Donaire wants to correct that flaw the soonest he can head back to the gym.
“As soon as my hand heals I want to go back to training,” he said.
Top Rank already lined up Mexican former 122-lb champ Jorge Arce as Donaire’s next foe in October, reportedly at Staples Center in Los Angeles to lure the large Filipino and Mexican audience in the area.
Donaire’s left hand was still swollen two days after taking Mathebula’s IBF crown via a unanimous decision at Home Depot Center.
He said the left that felled Mathebula late in the fourth was only a “check hook.”
“I wasn’t even in good balance but that almost knocked him out,” Donaire said. “If I hit him like how I hit (Fernando) Montiel, he would never get up. But it’s hard because he’s tall and he was running away.”
Donaire said he’s willing to fight anybody, even Cuban Guillermo Rigondeax. The amateur star with two Olympic golds but whose pro career is largely untested tried to get his attention by calling him a “coward.”
The boxer dubbed as Filipino Flash said: “Top Rank is going for anyone who is easiest to deal with. Other guys will have to wait.”