MANILA, Philippines - Nonito Donaire Jr. has lost the unwanted pounds as he geared up for his title clash with South African Simpiwe Vetyeka this Saturday in Macau.
From over 140 pounds when he graced a press conference in Manila a few weeks back, he’s down to 128 pounds five days left before the fight.
Donaire is out to take the WBA featherweight title from Vetyeka when they clash at the 15,000-seat Cotai Arena of The Venetian Hotel.
The weight limit is set at 126 pounds and Donaire shouldn’t have any problem for Friday’s official weigh in at 3 p.m. at the Bellini Lounge of the massive hotel.
Losing weight is no problem for Donaire because he’s used to it.
According to www.philboxing.com, the hard-hitting Filipino shed off 10 pounds in a day for his 2011 battle with Omar Narvaez and for his rematch with Vic Darchinyan last November he dropped five pounds in 24 hours.
“No worries,†said Donaire of his weight.
Donaire flew to Macau over the weekend with his wife Rachel and his father/trainer Nonito Sr.
Fight promoter Top Rank has arranged a grand arrival for the two boxers at 6 p.m. tomorrow at the main lobby of The Venetian. A press conference is set at 2:30 p.m. Thursday at the main ballroom.
The 31-year-old Donaire is seeking his fifth world title in four different weight classes. He has held world titles in the flyweight, bantam and super-bantam divisions.
He will climb the ring at around 10:30 p.m. on Saturday as the underdog.
It’s the first time Donaire will fight in Macau where Manny Pacquiao outfought Mexico’s Brandon Rios last November.
All the hard work is done out on the road, in the gym and on the couch watching tapes of Vetyeka’s previous fights.
Donaire said it was fun back working with his father who was away from him for quite some time due to some personal differences.
But now they’re back in each other’s arms.
“With my father back, I hope to be able to unleash my true potential,†said Donaire.
“It’s fun being with my dad. Everything just flows like water,†he added.