I’ll fight anybody, says Nonito Donaire

Photo by AP

MANILA—World bantamweight champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire is ready to face anybody Top Rank promoter Bob Arum picks for a possible fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Oct. 1.

Donaire, who was scheduled to leave for Japan with his wife Rachel today, before returning to their home in San Francisco, said that he “isn’t bothered” over who Top Rank picks as an opponent for his next fight.

“It doesn’t matter,” said  the WBC/WBO champ. “I’ll fight anybody.”

There are speculations that Donaire’s next bout will be a unification fight against WBA champ Anselmo Moreno.

Morenao and Donaire were orginally penciled for a May 28 playdate, but that was scrapped because of the contractual dispute Donaire had with Top Rank and Moreno’s own managerial problems.

Donaire told the Inquirer that the moment he returns to the US later this week, he will “return to the gym and start training right away.”

Asked about a possible October fight date, Donaire said that it should pose no problem because he will have eight to ten weeks “to get into good shape.”

Informed about Arum’s plan to pit him against the winner of the WBC super bantamweight title fight between champion Toshiaki Nishioka of Japan and former champion Rafael Marquez, Donaire welcomed the proposal.

Arum earlier told the Inquirer that Nishioka would fight Jorge “Travieso” Arce and both fighters had agreed that the winner would fight Donaire but for some reason Arce is out and Rafael Marquez, brother of Juan Manuel Marquez, has stepped in.