Donaire and the road ahead

It was a pleasure and honor arranging the visit of World Boxing Association (WBA) interim super flyweight champion Nonito Donaire and his fiancée, Rachel Marcial to President Benigno Aquino III and accompanying them and their party that included Rachel’s parents, Gerry and Kaye Marcial; Ida Henares, vice president, talent development and management development of GMA’s Artist Center and Lou Gopez, also of GMA network’s Artist Center, two Mondays ago at the Malacañang guesthouse.

It wasn’t difficult getting President Noynoy to spend almost 45 minutes, starting around 1 p.m., with Donaire’s party – after all the two had talked by overseas phone hours after Donaire knocked out Mexico’s Hernan “Tyson” Marquez on July 10 at the Jose Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico in the eighth round to successfully defend his title and improve his record to 24-1, 16 KOs.

Even more significant is that Donaire became an adopted brother of the Aquino children after the 27-year old boxing icon dedicated his fight against Rafael Concepcion on Aug. 15, 2009 to the late President Corazon C. Aquino who passed away in the early morning hours of Aug. 1, or two weeks before Donaire won the WBA interim world super flyweight title.

In that bout, which went the full 12-round distance, Donaire wore yellow boxing trunks with the name “Aquino” stitched on the back of his waistband. The trunks had Concepcion’s blood on them, proof of the fight that the tough Mexican put up. Donaire presented the trunks to the Aquino sisters (Ballsy, Pinky and Viel) right after the mass on Aug. 21, 2009 celebrated at the Don Bosco parish church in Makati in memory of then the 26th death anniversary of the assassinated father of President Noynoy, Senator Benigno S. Aquino Jr.

For the Marquez fight, Donaire again wore yellow trunks with “Aquino” stitched on to the waistband. This time around, Donaire presented the trunks to President Noynoy who was not around a year ago at Don Bosco.

The meeting was cordial and turned even friendlier when I volunteered the information that Rachel’s mom, Kaye (Rebecca) is from Tarlac. President Noynoy said that Kaye’s town is just outside the district in Tarlac he represented for three terms or nine years as congressman before being elected senator.

President Noynoy discussed with Donaire his programs that included, among others, initiatives in education, job creation, putting order in the country’s finances which are now in shambles and the environment. Donaire who went to school in San Lorenzo High School in San Lorenzo, California and is therefore more articulate than the ordinary boxer, engaged the President in a lively conversation.

On the environment, President Noynoy told Donaire that he found out that Roxas Boulevard was one of the most polluted areas in Metro Manila. The Chief Executive also mentioned that, after his campaign against sirens or wang wangs, he had ordered the concerned government agencies to go hard on smoke belchers in our streets.

At the tail end of the visit, I informed President Noynoy that Nonito and Rachel had a private matter they wanted to discuss with him. Before President Noynoy joined our group in the sitting room, Nonito and Rachel informed me of their plans as a couple and I suggested that they ought to take it up privately with the President after his party and I would have left the room. Nonito and Rachel therefore spent about 10 minutes of private time with the President to inform him of their plan to get married in November next year.

On another front and back to the boxing ring, Donaire’s plans include eventually climbing up to the 126-pound featherweight division. The Filipino champ is hoping to be in the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao-Antonio Margarito fight on Nov. 13 and he hopes to face World Boxing Organization and World Boxing Council champion Fernando Montiel for the latter’s two titles. The 31-year old Montiel has an outstanding record of 41-2-2, 31 KOs.

After Montiel, Donaire says he wants to take on Mexican champion Israel “Magnifico” Vazquez for the latter’s super bantamweight title but, per Dennis Gasgonia of ABS-CBN News.com, only after he wins a world title at the bantamweight (118-pound) division.

Donaire, who is ranked by the Ring Magazine as the fourth top pound-for-pound boxer in the world, has expressed difficulties in dieting to make the 115-pound weight limit. He has said on a number of occasions that he will be much stronger in higher divisions and when he adds muscles to his frame by doing weights.

Looks like Donaire has his plans well laid out. All he needs now are opponents who are willing to take on the best.