Nonito Donaire. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
CARSON, California— Experience and power.
These are the main sticking points for Filipino boxing star Nonito Donaire Jr. when he stakes his WBO and IBF super bantamweight titles against Japanese Toshiaki Nishioka on Saturday (Sunday morning in Manila) at Home Depot Center here.
With an eight-year, 16-bout winning run, the 36-year-old Nishioka is still very dangerous despite a year-long hiatus, said the 29-year-old Donaire.
“He has the power and he knows how to set up a punch,” said Donaire, who motored to this Los Angeles county suburb on a nippy Monday evening from his Bay Area training camp. He drove with wife Rachel in a small van emblazoned with his image.
“We don’t want to fall into his traps,” Donaire added. “He’s a veteran and he’s got tricks up his sleeves.”
Instead, Donaire (29-1-0 with 18 knockouts) and his camp devised a plan to cut down the crafty Nishioka (39-4-3 with 24 KOs), who last fought on Oct. 10, 2011, when he decisioned Rafael Marquez to keep his WBC crown. He eventually refused a mandatory defense and gave up the title.
After settling down, Donaire made the rounds of Marriott Manhattan Beach and shadowboxed at the resort hotel’s sprawling grounds.
He’s got a busy schedule ahead with media workouts on Wednesday at the Fortune Gym on Sunset Boulevard.
On Thursday, he sits in a round-table discussion, along with Nishioka and co-main feature Brandon Rios and Mike Alvarado, in Marriott. Official weigh-in will be on Friday at the same hotel.
Donaire bared that he’s almost 122 pounds, claiming he has no problem making the weight.