Donaire knows foe’s weakness

CARSON CITY, California—It was while engaging in a hobby that Nonito Donaire Jr. found himself with a unique vantage point to study Toshiaki Nishioka.

When the veteran Japanese fought Mexican warrior Rafael Marquez last year, Donaire was at ringside taking photographs of the bout.

“You see, the thing is, being a photographer you see a lot of the first hand, first step and the little things that they do before they do their thing,” said Donaire during a round table promotional affair at the ballroom of Marriott in Manhattan Beach.

Donaire said the experience gave him the chance to study Nishioka up close, and gave him a peek at some of the chinks in the armor of the 36-year-old former world champion, against whom he defends his IBF and WBO crowns on Saturday (Monday morning in Manila) at Home Depot Center here.

“So being a photographer, I just kind of aimed at what stood out with Nishioka,” Donaire said, adding that what he say may not necessarily dictate how he fights Nishioka. “But again, that is something that could be totally different when I fight him. Marquez is slower than I am, so his total demeanor, of course, will change.

“I don’t wanna look or anticipate for something that will not come. But I have seen his weakness fighting Marquez.”

Nishioka also said he saw the Filipino Flash’s weakness during his July clash with Jeffrey Mathebula.

“There are some weaknesses that I can’t tell you,” said Nishioka through an interpreter, while acknowledging that Donaire is the best fighter he will face.

“He’s No. 4 in the pound-for-pound list,” he said. “I can take that place if I beat him. And I have better knockout rates when fighting overseas.”

Nishioka, who is also accompanied here by at least 10 reporters from Japan, won all his four fights outside Japan via knockout, including one against Mexican Jhonny Gonzales in Monterrey, Mexico.

Win or lose against Nishioka, Donaire will stay at super bantamweight for a little while.

Top Rank boss Bob Arum and Donaire’s head trainer Robert Garcia agreed with him saying he needs at least two to three fights in the division before moving up.