Three fights for Donaire next year

MANILA, Philippines - Under the terms of newly-crowned WBO superbantamweight champion Nonito Donaire Jr.’s fresh one-year renewal of his Top Rank contract starting in January, he’ll see action thrice in 2016 and the Filipino Flash said the other day he’s making himself available to take on anyone in the ring.

Donaire, 33, is fresh from pounding out a gutsy win over Mexico’s Cesar Juarez via a unanimous 12-round decision to regain the vacant WBO 122-pound crown in San Juan, Puerto Rico, last Friday. He decked Juarez twice in the fourth, suffered a bizarre foot injury in the sixth, weathered Juarez’s relentless attacks and sealed the victory with a stirring display of heart in the late going. Donaire refused to quit even as he fought with pain in his left foot and a jammed left thumb and even managed to steal the last round in repulsing the rugged Mexican bull.

 Throughout the fight, Juarez kept pushing Donaire along the ropes to keep him from moving but had little success in connecting solid shots consistently. At the final bell, there was no doubt as to who was the superior fighter. Judges Jose Roberto Torres and Nestor Vazquez both saw it 116-110 and judge Gerardo Martinez, 117-109, all for Donaire. The Star had it 116-110.

Although Juarez lost, he preserved his record of never being knocked out. He was down thrice in losing a decision to Jorge Lara and twice in bowing to Edgar Lozano on a disqualification. Juarez also lost to Hugo Partida on a majority verdict. The Mexican has now lost four bouts, three on points and one on a disqualification. He was close to being knocked out by Donaire in the fourth round but survived the assault. Donaire’s record improved to 36-3, with 23 KOs, while Juarez’s mark slipped to 17-4, with 13 KOs.

Donaire and his family will leave San Juan today and take a connecting Philippine Airlines flight from Los Angeles to arrive in Manila on Thursday morning. Donaire, wife Rachel and their sons Jarel and Logan will spend the Christmas holidays in town.

While Donaire said he’s willing to give Juarez a rematch, there are other alternatives on the table. One option is to face the winner of the IBF/WBA superbantamweight unification championship duel between Carl Frampton and Scott Quigg in Manchester on Feb. 27. Donaire’s manager Cameron Dunkin was close to arranging a fight against Quigg for the WBA title this year but talks fell through when Frampton came along to offer a unification showdown. Now, Donaire is calling out the winner of the Quigg-Frampton clash.

 Quigg, 27, is a 5-8 Englishman with a 31-0-2 record, including 23 KOs. Frampton, 28, is from Belfast and totes a 21-0 record, including 14 KOs. Donaire won’t hesitate to tangle with either Quigg or Frampton in the UK if that’s what Top Rank and Dunkin want.

Another option is to face WBO No. contender Jessie Magdaleno of Las Vegas. When the WBO stripped Cuba’s Guillermo Rigondeaux of the superbantamweight title, the governing body ordered Juarez as the No. 1 contender and Donaire as the No. 2 contender to meet for the vacant throne with the winner mandated to make his first defense against Magdaleno as the No. 3 contender. If the WBO orders an immediate defense against Magdaleno, Donaire will take that route.

Magdaleno, 24, is unbeaten like Quigg and Frampton. His record is 22-0, with 16 KOs. Last October, the 5-4 southpaw figured in his first 10-round fight and he disposed of Vergel Nebran in 142 seconds in Phoenix. Like Juarez, Magdaleno has youth on his side but Donaire’s experience is a neutralizing factor. Another option is to meet Rigondeaux in a rematch but the Cuban isn’t a crowd attraction so it may not be a profitable alternative. 

Donaire earned world-wide acclaim for his courageous stand against Juarez. With his lateral movement curtailed by a sprained foot, he was constantly pushed against the ropes by the rampaging Mexican. Donaire couldn’t throw as many combinations as he would’ve liked because the power and leverage he generates from his legs were gone in the last six rounds. Juarez persistently pressed the attack but Donaire wouldn’t surrender.

 In the 10th round, Donaire appeared hurt from a brutal shot to the body. He backed off and slid on the canvas with referee Ramon Pena ruling it a slip. With blood trickling down from a cut on his right eyelid and the vision in his left eye impaired by an ugly mouse, Donaire sucked it up in the last two rounds, realizing he needed a convincing finish to guarantee the win. Juarez absorbed some solid shots in the 11th and 12th, slowing his momentum.  At the final bell, both fighters were still throwing bombs when Pena stepped in to signal a halt to the brawl. 

Donaire said he had “static pain” in his left foot after stepping on Pena’s foot in the sixth round, causing him to drop to the canvas on both knees. At first, it seemed like Donaire hurt his knee. But he later confirmed it was his foot that brought almost unbearable pain. It’s an injury often seen in basketball where a player’s foot lands on somebody else’s foot coming from a jump, twisting it in the process.

 Donaire said he’s not the type to quit or make excuses. He could’ve easily turned his back and surrendered when Juarez kept hammering away. “I gave it all I’ve got,” he said. “That’s how I am. I’m a warrior. Sure, I thought about quitting but I knew I wouldn’t. I couldn’t let my family and my countrymen down. I wanted to bring the title back to the Philippines.”