Sparring session steered Donaire on path toward super flyweight crown

Nonito Donaire had trouble finding sparring partners when he was training for his world flyweight title fight with Moruti Mthalane in November.

Cameron Dunkin, Donaire's manager, brought in Rafael Valenzuela, a featherweight who outweighed the 112-pound Donaire by 10 pounds. Valenzuela promised Dunkin he would take it easy on Donaire in the ring. But Donaire was the one who wound up taking it to Valenzuela, knocking him down and breaking his nose.

At the time, Donaire probably didn't think much of it. It's sparring. Things happen.

But little did he know that day would serve him well for the rest of his career, particularly tonight, when Donaire moves up to 115 pounds to fight Rafael Concepcion in the main event of Top Rank's "Pinoy Power 2" pay-per-view card from the Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel.

The 12-round bout was supposed to be for the vacant WBA interim super flyweight belt. But only Donaire can win it after Concepcion failed to make the 115-pound limit at Friday's weigh-in, coming in at 1191/2.

Donaire was not happy with the weigh-in. Neither was Concepcion, who was docked 20 percent of his purse by the Nevada Athletic Commission for failing to make weight. It cost him $13,000.

"It's ridiculous to have a world title fight when one guy is 5 pounds over," Donaire said. "It's one thing to be 1 pound over. But 5 pounds is ridiculous.

"I feel like he disrespected the fans who paid good money to see a fair championship fight more than he disrespected me."

Donaire (21-1-1, 14 knockouts), who came in Friday at 115 pounds, said moving up in weight is no problem. He just wishes he could have been 1191/2 after what Concepcion (13-3-1, eight KOs) did.

"I'm feeling the higher the weight class, the more comfortable I've been," said Donaire, who has fought as heavy as 119 pounds early in his career. "I want to win titles in multiple divisions, so this fight is important to me."

He never dreamed he would fight a 119-pounder so soon. Donaire's goal is to follow the path of Manny Pacquiao, who has won titles in six weight classes and has fought as high as 147 pounds. Donaire doesn't quite see himself fighting as a welterweight. He's thinking more like topping out at lightweight (135 pounds).

"I walk around every day at 137, so 135 is realistic," Donaire said. "I guess if the money was right and the opponent was right, I could go to 140. But right now, I'm focused on this fight" at 115.

His stay at the super flyweight class figures to be brief. Bigger fights at higher weights are looming for Donaire, and, at age 26, he's just starting to hit his prime as a boxer. There's talk of him meeting bantamweight Fernando Montiel late this year or early in 2010.

As he progresses up the ladder, Donaire embraces the Pacquiao comparisons rather than run from them.

"It's an honor to be compared to (Pacquiao)," he said. "He is the greatest fighter, pound-for-pound, in the world. And, of course, he is a great representative of our country.

"To me, there's no pressure. I don't mind being labeled. There's only one Manny Pacquiao. But I would like to follow his path of success and be a champion the way he has been."

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@ reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913.