The Donaire family has made a big name for themselves in the sport of boxing.

From successful coaching to a dominating world champion, they have worked their way to the top. But just like any other family, the Donaires are not without their share of drama and family feuds.

Nonito Donaire Sr. has been coaching boxing for some time now. Currently, Donaire Sr. is working closely with Nonito Donaire Jr.’s older brother, Glenn Donaire (17-4-1), and has effectively helped the Filipino women’s boxing champion, Ana Julaton (8-2-1). Most importantly, he was the one who brought up and molded our young sensation WBC and WBO Bantamweight World Champion, Nonito Donaire Jr.

Most would imagine this to be a great thing—father and son working together on bigger and better things. Unfortunately, boxing isn't father-son friendly. Shane Mosley Sr. is no longer a part of Shane Mosley’s team. Floyd Mayweather Sr. has lost the head coach position in his son’s team to his own brother, Roger Mayweather.

Nonito Donaire Jr. and father Donaire Sr. have been apart for a long time. Their unstable relationship has been covered by the media on numerous occasions in an attempt to unearth the reason for their parting.

Donaire Jr.’s wife Rachel claims that Donaire Sr. was belligerent with their money, sucking their accounts dry and asking her for more. Working two jobs and barely able to survive, their family was not well off.

Recently, Nonito Donaire’s manager Cameron Dunkin, as well as Donaires Jr. and Senior, had something to say about their broken home situation. 

Dunkin claims that all of the checks earned by Donaire Jr. were written to Donaire Sr., ultimately making him responsible for the finances. Dunkin goes on to say that Donaire Sr. was too controlling, trying to be in command of everything Donaire Jr. had going on in his life.

Recently, someone used Donaire Jr.’s social security number for a credit card application. Donaire Jr. did not point any fingers, but he suggested that he may be changing his name in order to avoid future scams and other problems.

Donaire Sr. was not without words in his own interview, stating that Donaire Jr. wouldn’t help his family financially. He rejected any speculation that accused him of taking Junior’s money.

Glenn Donaire has been working hard to restore peace in the family, but so far, without success. Maybe in the future, both Donaires can find a way to forgive and forget, reuniting once again.   

WBC/WBO bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire is likely to face Anselmo Moreno of Panama on May 28, possibly at the Oakland Coliseum in the Bay area, where he spent his best years as a teenager.

This was revealed by Donaire's manager, Cameron Dunkin who told ESPN.com the match will be a unification fight against the Panamanian southpaw.

"Bob said Moreno would be the opponent and I'm fine with it. Bob said he can get Moreno, that that is not an issue," Dunkin said.

"Moreno is a really good boxer, a good fighter, but I like Nonito."

Dunkin said he and Arum still need to work out the specific financial terms, but that Donaire (26-1, 18 KOs) is excited to return to action so quickly after knocking out Montiel to win his two belts last month at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

It was a star-making victory that propelled Donaire, a former flyweight titleholder, into the top five on most pound-for-pound lists.

"When I talked to Nonito about what Bob said he had a big smile on his face and said, 'Let's go.' He just really wants to fight. He really does."

Moreno, who is four years younger than Donaire, is on a 24-fight winning streak with his latest fight against Nehomar Cermeno of Venezuela          

The Panamanian boxer fought Ukrainian slugger Wladimir Sidorenko in May 2008 and won via split decision; Donaire, likewise, fought Sidorenko last year and won via a fourth round KO.

Donaire is fresh from his victory over Mexican Fernando Montiel via second round TKO, in a fight held at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada two weeks ago.

Anselmo Moreno, who is a 25 year old southpaw, has only lost once in his professional boxing career, which happened almost 10 years ago against Ricardo Molina, a fellow Panamanian.

Meanwhile, Donaire's manager, Cameron Dunkin said he is not quite familiar with Moreno's fighting style and will asked trainer Robert Garcia to watch Moreno's tapes.

“I haven’t seen Moreno yet,” Dunkin said.

“I will try to watch him and I will have (trainer) Robert (Garcia) watch him and see what he thinks. But Arum is already saying this guy is perfect for the fight he wants to do. It’s another belt that Nonito can win, but it’s not just a belt. Moreno is a credible guy and it would be another appearance on HBO. So it would be a great opportunity.”

Donaire is expected in Manila in the next few days to celebrate his victory with his millions of Filipino fans.

Filipino-American Ana "The Hurricane" Julaton retained her WBO Bantamweight title Friday night against Mexican-American Francesca "The Chosen One" Alcanter at the Craneway Pavillion in Richmond, Calif.

Julaton, who was trained by Manny Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, won via a unanimous decision in the 10-round Bay Area boxing event.

The lovely lady boxer used her left-hand jabs all throughout the fight, which inflicted major damage to Alcanter's face.

The lopsided fight went through 10 rounds with no knockdowns or life-threatening damage to the fighters. The three judges’ scorecards read 99-92, 97-93 and a rather inexplicable 96-94.

Former WBC Flyweight Champion Rodel Mayol served as sparring partner of Julaton during her training for the defense of her WBO Bantamweight title.

The 10-round championship bout dubbed “The Return of the Hurricane" was shown in the Philippines live on Channel 5 and Aksyon TV 41 at 12 noon, Manila time.

Born in in San Francisco, Julaton is 5'5" and an orthodox fighter.

She won the San Francisco Golden Gloves, the California State Championships, was a Diamond Belt champion, and closed out her amateur career by winning the silver medal in the United States Amateur Championships.

Julaton said in a post-fight interview she will try to stage her next fight in the Philippines possibly within the year.

Alcanter is originally from Kansas City, Mo. She stands 5'4" and, likewise, is an orthodox boxer.

Alcanter's (18-9-1) last fight was held in Germany against Ina Menzer, which she lost.

Last weekend, former flyweight titlist Nonito Donaire scored the biggest win of his career by starching two-belt bantamweight titlist Fernando Montiel in the second round.

Not only did the win come against arguably the toughest opponent of his career, it was an aesthetically pleasing knockout victory that took place as a main event on HBO. Even if the win had come over a fighter with half as many accolades as Montiel, it might still have been the talk of the boxing world.

Before Donaire could get back to his dressing room, the media had already labeled him Filipino great Manny Pacquiao's successor, with many claiming his place now right behind Pacquiao on the ever-subjective pound-for-pound list—I have him at number five.

As is always the case following this kind of stellar performance, the talk quickly turned to who would be next to meet Donaire in the ring. And, as is always the case following a Pacquiao victory, the media pointed to weight classes north of where the fighter is currently making his bones.

Names like Juan Manuel Lopez and Yuriorkis Gamboa immediately popped out of Max Kellerman's mouth. Both of them titlists eight pounds above bantamweight, but more importantly, both of them promoted by Bob Arum.

Largely due to owning the promotional rights to Pacquiao, Arum's Top Rank promotional company has been absolutely surging. Arum himself has even said that they are doing better than ever before in their 38-year existence.

With his ever-growing stable of top-notch talent, Arum has turned his back on the rest of the promoters in the boxing world, increasingly only matching his stars with other Top Rank fighters.

Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer responded quite matter-of-factly when asked about Arum's recent moves.

"I thought a few years ago we had seen the worst of Arum. But I don't think that was the case because he's getting worse by the day. And he's really just pissing all over anyone's fight, unless it's one of his fights.

"And these in-house fights, I mean, let there be no mistake, he has his own designs and so does (Top Rank president) Todd (duBoef). They want to be like the UFC. They want to control the sport and they're basically going to piss and try to minimize anyone else's fights as much as they can."

Desperate words when you consider Golden Boy founder Oscar De La Hoya's remarks to Broadcasting & Cable last year when he claimed promoters like Arum and Don King have "had a chokehold on this sport for 40 years"—declaring them yesterday's news.

He went on to compliment the UFC business plan and its position as the only real force in MMA. "We need to sign all the talent and get all the TV dates," said De La Hoya.

And now, following Donaire's breakout win on Saturday, Arum knows he has another major player under his Top Rank umbrella.

When asked if he was impressed by Donaire's recent performance, Arum did not hold back from complimenting his fighter.

"Are you crazy? To see a punch like that and having the force that it did, breaking Montiel's jaw. I mean, it's one of the most unbelievable punches I've seen and I've seen Tommy Hearns, (Marvin) Hagler, really good punchers. I've never seen a punch like that."

Arum went on to say he was looking towards super bantamweights Steve Molitor and Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. as opponents for Donaire in the immediate future. Both of them titlists, but more importantly, both Top Rank fighters.

"And in another year, he will probably end up at 126 (featherweight)," said Arum.

However, Showtime is currently in the midst of a four-man bantamweight tournament, with the finals going down on April 23. Undefeated IBO titlist Abner Mares will face off against IBF titlist Joseph Agbeko to determine the tournament winner.

Whoever comes out on top in that bout has a strong case to be considered the champion at bantamweight, as does Donaire.

In an era of constant catch-weight matchups and total disregard for weight classes, it would be refreshing for two fighters to make it their goal to be the undisputed champion in their division. Donaire has that opportunity—and he is interested.

When asked by Max Kellerman immediately following his win if he would move up for "bigger and better game," Donaire responded, "I think that I want to be undisputed in this weight class. And if that doesn't happen, I got my trust and faith in Cameron Dunkin (Donaire's manager). If that's 122, let's go. If that's 126, let's go. I think that it keeps me moving, it keeps me being the best of who I am."

If you're like me and hoping for an undisputed bantamweight champion before Donaire moves up in weight, then by default you are rooting for Joseph Agbeko to best Abner Mares on April 23.

Mares is promoted by Golden Boy, while Agbeko is promoted by the much more Top Rank-friendly Thompson Boxing. And that is likely what will make the difference for Top Rank.

Arum refuses to work with any Golden Boy fighters, particularly evidenced by Shane Mosely leaving Golden Boy to get a shot at Pacquiao.

If Mares wins the tournament, don't expect there to be an undisputed champion anytime soon. And I doubt Top Rank will announce Donaire's next opponent until they see who does come out on top on April 23.

In the meantime, WBA bantamweight champion Anselmo Moreno is being explored as a possible summer opponent for Donaire. If Mares wins the tournament, a Moreno bout will have to suffice Donaire's desire to unify the division.

If Donaire adds the WBA title to his collection and Agbeko can add the IBO title to his, a match between the two would be for all five of the meaningless trinkets.

But, whether we get to see an undisputed champion at 118 pounds, or whether you even care to, when was the last time people were talking this much about the little guys?

Oh yeah, when Manny Pacquiao was one.

Filipino-American bantamweight king Nonito Donaire may be on his way to making his first million dollar purse within the year.

Judging from his incredible performance against highly rated Mexican champion Fernando Montiel and his soaring popularity over the Internet and in print media, there is little doubt he will command a large sum on his next fight.

Will Donaire make his first million dollar this year? The answer to this million dollar question really depends on Bob Arum, his promoter, and his choice of opponent. It also has a lot to do with his crowd-drawing capability and his initial demand on the pay-per-view market.

Donaire made $350,000.00 on his recent fight with Montiel, a very small amount for the kind of performance he has demonstrated to a crowd of around 5,000 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino last February 19.

The amount is really small if taxes, trainer's share and other overhead expenses are deducted from the purse. But the "Filipino Flash" seems happy as he decided to buy a gallon of ice cream after the fight to treat himself after a scintillating performance inside the ring.

Despite the relatively small amount he got, Donaire said he is still thankful for the exposure the fight has given him.

"It's just a blessing that people came to watch me. So maybe in the future we can already demand a bigger purse" Donaire said.

Donaire also said he and his wife will save the money for the rainy days because he can’t remain a boxer all his life.

Like Manny Pacquiao, his number one boxing idol, Donaire also has his share of childhood struggles when as a child he tried selling ice candy to earn some money. It was hard back then, Donaire said.

With his convincing win over Fernando Montiel, Donaire has been elevated from No.5 to No.3 in Ring's pound-for-pound ranking.

There is a good chance Donaire will move up to No.2 next to Manny Pacquiao who is the current pound-for-pound king—that is if Sergio Martinez loses to undefeated Serhiy Dizinziruk of Ukraine on March 12 and if Floyd Mayweather continues to be inactive for the rest of the year.

Among Donaire's next possible opponents include bantamweights Anselmo Moreno of Panama, Joseph Adbeko of Ghana, Abner Mares of Mexico and and Yonnhy Perez of Colombia, among others.

With his current rating as No.3 in the Ring Magazine's pound-for-pound ranking and being the holder of the WBC/WBO Bantamweight Championship crown, there is little doubt Donaire will emerge as the new boxing millionaire in 2011.

Lady boxer Ana "The Hurricane" Julaton enters the ring Friday night against Fancesca Alcanter at the Craneway Pavillion in Point Richmond, CA.

At stake is her WBO Super Bantamweight Title.

Julaton who trains under Manny Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, will be colliding with a bigger opponent and a veteran women's boxer.

The Filipino-American boxer has appeared in eight professional fight, with a record of 6-1-1.

“I’m ready to go especially after going through the hardest training camp I ever had,” declared Julaton, 30, who prepared for the fight for about a month under Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach.

And with no less than former World Boxing Council Light-Flyweight Champion Rodel Mayol as her regular sparring partner at the celebrated Wild Card Boxing Club in Los Angeles.

The 10-round championship bout dubbed “The Return of the Hurricane"will be shown in the Philippines live on Channel 5 and Aksyon TV 41 at 12 noon, Manila time.

Born in in San Francisco, CA, Julaton is 5'5" and an orthodox fighter.

She won the San Francisco Golden Gloves, the California State Championships, was a Diamond Belt champion, and closed out her amateur career by winning the silver medal in the United States Amateur Championships.

As a professional boxer, Julation is close to the top in winning world titles with the least amount of professional bouts.

She is presently a world-title holder of the lightly-regarded IBA and the well-respected elite WBO.

Julaton's opponent, Francesca Alcanter is a professional American boxer originally from Kansas City, MI. She stands 5'4" and, likewise, is an orthodox boxer.

Alcanter's (18-9-1) last fight was held in Germany against Ina Menzer.

She lost via a unanimous decision.

Around 10 minutes after Nonito Donaire’s left fist dented the side of Fernando Montiel’s face, literally, things still hadn’t quite calmed down in the Harris household.  Between spilled beer, shouting and dozens of slow-mo replays on the DVR, those in attendance were still filled with jubilation.  After all, something like this doesn’t happen very often, especially between two elite fighters on top of their game. 

The shocking finality of that punch rejuvenated a crowd that had become rather bored by the dull undercard bout, featuring Mike Jones dancing around Jesus Soto Karass like he was auditioning for Dancing With The Stars or something.  As brilliant performances go, this was an A plus all the way, which led to the obvious musings pertaining to future opponents for Donaire. This crowd, which consisted of a pleasant blend of diehard fans and casual-at-best fans, offered up the usual stuff, from logical to clueless. 

One such reasonable idea was a bantamweight unification bout with one of the other two champions in the division, an idea that we’ll explore later.  Others involved elite fighters from lower weights moving up to bantamweight to fight Donaire.  These will not be explored here.  Clueless drivel about Donaire fighting Timothy Bradley or Floyd Mayweather was ignored, for the most part, as was the inevitable comparison to Manny Pacquiao. 

But upon further thought, the future for Donaire, given the current boxing landscape, is anything but clear.  Why?  For two reasons:  first is Donaire’s ability and willingness to move through multiple weight classes, the second is the ongoing feud between Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions.  Let’s examine both to see if we can identify a feasible path for Donaire’s future.

Don’t Weight For Me

In the span of less than two years and 6 fights, Donaire has now owned four major world titles in three different weight classes, from flyweight to bantamweight.  This assumes you count the interim WBA title he recently held at junior bantamweight, which is up for debate.  Actually, whether the WBA title should even still be regarded as a major title is up for debate, but we can tackle that another day. 

The point is, Donaire has not only been trampling through weight classes, but has done so at elite levels and in short order.  And in those six fights, he’s won four of them inside of four rounds, and only one fight went to a decision.  The scarier part is the fact that he plans to climb another two weight classes, up to featherweight, in the near future. 

Given Donaire’s size (5’6”), skill, speed, and power, moving up to junior featherweight (122 pounds) or featherweight (126 pounds) seems perfectly plausible.  And when you consider that the top featherweights, Juan Manuel “JuanMa” Lopez and Yuriorkis Gamboa, are both shorter than Donaire (and JuanMa just recently moved up from 122), envisioning future matchups with either of them makes sense from the size perspective. 

For the sake of this discussion, let’s focus on possibilities within these three divisions:  bantamweight, junior featherweight, and featherweight.  However, any discussion must take the aforementioned feud into account, as it appears Top Rank’s boss, Bob Arum, refuses to do business with his rival, Golden Boy Promotions, run by none other than Oscar De La Hoya. 

And from all accounts, that feeling is mutual, which isn’t good for the fans or the sport. For the purpose of this article, we’ll ignore that Donaire’s contract with Top Rank allegedly expires in May, and we’ll assume he plans to stay with Top Rank.  That being said, let’s chart a possible future course for Donaire.

Unfinished Business or No Business at All?

Donaire currently holds two of the four major world titles at bantamweight, which he won by goin’ all gangsta and smackin’ the taste outta Montiel’s mouth. In some (but certainly not all) cases, having two belts would be enough for fans to consider someone a top fighter in a given weight class, but bantamweight is a peculiar division. 

On Showtime, a bantamweight tournament involving four of the division’s top fighters has been taking place, with the finals of said tournament taking place April 23^rd.  The winner of this bout, between IBF champ Joseph Agbeko and Abner Mares, will certainly lay claim to being the best, as he should, given the feat of winning this excellent tournament.  There is also the matter of WBA champ Anselmo Moreno, a quality fighter out of Panama that has fought and defeated a number of top contenders through the years, and has won 24 straight bouts to go with seven title defenses.  The question becomes, should Donaire stick around long enough to fight the Agbeko-Mares winner, Moreno, both, or neither? 

Donaire has claimed to want to “clean out” the division before moving up in weight, and given the recent rumblings that HBO plans to bring Donaire back on its airwaves in May, the obvious choice here would be Moreno, if he wins this weekend. Why? With the Agbeko-Mares bout being in late April, one would assume that May is too quick of a turnaround for that bout to happen.  But if this rumored May return isn’t true, and there would be time for the winner to face Donaire, the feud becomes an issue.

Mares is promoted by Golden Boy, so if he wins we can all forget about a Mares-Donaire bout.  Agbeko is a Don King fighter, and given the recent love-fest between King and Arum, this certainly could happen. Conclusion: Donaire should stick around for at least one more bantamweight fight, and given the potential scheduling issues, look for a Donaire-Moreno bout to take place on HBO in May.  Otherwise, waiting for the winner of Mares-Agbeko would put Donaire on the shelf for too long, and could result in an impossible fight anyway, so forget it.  And if he’s not going to further unify the division with one of these two fights, why stick around?   He should move up immediately if that’s the case.

A Junior Feather in Your Cap

Admittedly, there isn’t a lot of opportunity in the junior featherweight division.  Much of the talent in this neighborhood has moved on to featherweight.  And since Top Rank likes to keep fights in-house, that realistically leaves two possibilities for Donaire at 122.  The first is a bout with recently signed IBF champ Steve Molitor, a talented but highly beatable Canadian fighter, and someone that doesn’t really get the juices flowing.  Add to the fact that Molitor got demolished in his toughest fight, by Celestino Caballero, and you get the feeling the Donaire would just plow through this guy with ease. 

The other, more appetizing (and lucrative, probably) option is the winner of the upcoming Jorge Arce vs. Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. bout.  Arce is wildly popular in Mexico and does big business, but is getting a little long in the tooth at this point, and has been far less effective at the higher weights as he’s gotten older and changed divisions.  The undefeated Vazquez Jr., however, is a young star on the rise, the son of a former world champion, and is rapidly becoming a big attraction in his native Puerto Rico. 

It is widely assumed that Vazquez Jr.’s advantages in youth, power, and size will be too much for Arce to handle.  If this turns out to be true, a fight in Puerto Rico against Donaire would be huge, as it would further the rivalry between the Philippines and Puerto Rico.  Recent bouts in the rivalry have seen both sides taste success, as Pacquiao beat Miguel Cotto for Filipinos, but JuanMa beat Bernabe Concepcion, and Vazquez Jr. beat Marvin Sonsona for the Boricuas. 

A win by Donaire would put the Philippines back on top of the rivalry, while a Vazquez Jr. victory would cause his popularity to explode.  Thus, for Donaire’s bathroom break at 122, a bout with Vazquez Jr., assuming he beats Arce, makes the most sense.

It’s Great to be a Featherweight

Ultimately, featherweight is where the action resides, and where Donaire will likely earn his biggest paychecks and face his toughest challengers.  In keeping with the Top Rank-only mantra, we need to look no further than the two crown jewels residing in the division, JuanMa and Gamboa.  Both men have fights in the next two months, with Gamboa fighting Jorge Solis, and JuanMa taking on Orlando Salido, a guy that Gamboa just beat.  For a long time now, fans have been clamoring for these two standouts to fight each other, yet Arum continues to push it further into the future, if it ever takes place.  As these two continue to win, which they are expected to do while feasting on inferior opponents, sooner or later Top Rank will run out of guys to feed them.  Enter Donaire.

It appears to me that Top Rank cherishes JuanMa more than Gamboa, seeing as he is a big attraction in New York and Puerto Rico, while Gamboa hasn’t found the box office success that his talent deserves.  Because of this, I sense reluctance on the part of Top Rank to match these two, in case JuanMa were to lose. With Donaire in the picture, this becomes less of a concern, due to the fact that Donaire is likely going to become a cash cow very soon. 

It also opens the possibility of a nice round robin between the three. You could have Donaire fight Gamboa first, with the winner taking on JuanMa. Or, you could have JuanMa and Gamboa fight each other, with the winner taking on Donaire.  You get the point.  Donaire’s entry into this division would be huge for the sport, while also earning all those involved with this series of fights plenty of dough.  That’s win-win-win for the fighters, Top Rank, and the fans. 

In conclusion, it is this writer’s opinion that the best career path for Donaire involves unifying with Moreno at bantamweight, followed by a title shot against Vazquez Jr. at 122, and ends with a shot at both Gamboa and JuanMa at featherweight.  And what an impressive run it would be.

Of course, this plan is contingent on Donaire not only continuing to win, but continuing to win impressively.  Not an easy thing, but certainly not out of the realm of possibility.  If he does, I can hear Arum, doing his best DJ Khaled impression,

“All I do is win, win, win, no matter what.  Got money on my mind, I can never get enough.”

Lee Harris co-hosts a weekly boxing podcast, In The Corner, located at http://inthecorner.podbean.com.  You can subscribe for free through iTunes and Podbean.  Follow on Twitter -- @inthecornershow – and at Facebook.  You can also email him at inthecorner@rocketmail.com with any questions.

This past Saturday, February 19, 2011, I had the pleasure of joining a small army of Filipino and Mexican boxing fans for the Nonito Donaire (26-1-27) vs. Fernando Montiel (44-3-2) fight in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In my previous articles, I gave a personal prediction of a definite win and a probable knockout for Donaire. Most import was the reason that I gave for this confident prediction, which was Donaire’s overwhelming speed compared to that of Montiel’s.

From the very beginning of the fight to the second round left hook that knocked Montiel out, Donaire’s awe-inspiring speed was evident. Montiel was unable to offer anything that would pose a threat to the quick footed and lightening fast handed Donaire.

Montiel seemed legitimately hurt after the knockout, and went straight to the hospital. He suffered multiple injuries, which were all more serious than mild. I hope Montiel recovers swiftly and without any lagging effects, and gets back into the ring for more years of a healthy career.

While calling this fight competitive is impossible to do, it is this very fight that puts Donaire in a whole different category. His spot in the pound-for-pound ranking is not only solidified, but elevated as well. Donaire proved that he is not only one of the fastest fighters in boxing today (thanks to his speed coach Remi Korchemny), but also possesses knockout power in both hands.

So what’s next for Donaire? Will he wait for the Joseph Agbeko (28-2-0) vs. Abner Mares (21-0-1) winner? Will he go to Japan to fight for a title? Or will he move up to 122 lbs and start making history in other weight classes? I will let Donaire answer that in the interview provided below.

After the bout, I was able to take some post-fight press conference videos. Not only that, but the day after the fight, I joined Nonito and his wife Rachel Donaire at their new Las Vegas condominium, where family and friends were celebrating Donaire’s sensational win over Fernando Montiel.

Please enjoy the videos:

1-on-1 with Nonito Donaire After The Montiel Fight

Donaire vs Montiel Press Conference Clips

Donaire's Family and New Home

Interview with Nonito's Doctor

Rachel Donaire Interview post Montiel Bout

Robert Garcia Interview

PS: In a short while, I will be interviewing speed coach Remi Korchemny, who is currently working with Nonito Donaire, and recently helped super middleweight world champion Andre Ward (23-0-0). Please feel free to post any questions that you may have for Mr. Korchemny.

After just five minutes and twenty five seconds of boxing, “The Filipino Flash” Nonito Donaire (25-1-18) leapt in the air in celebration as he did what he knew he could do and dropped veteran boxing champion Fernando Montiel.

I watched the bout with nervous anticipation; I respected Donaire but wondered if he was ready for this stage and, more importantly, a powerful veteran fighter who has no quit in him.

With unbridled confidence Donaire raced to the center of the ring at the opening bell and took control of the fight, something I believed he wasn’t apt to do against the hard punching Montiel.

However as he said he would do, Donaire went toe-to-toe with Montiel looking for his knockout.

In round one, a solid left-right combination landed unimpeded on Montiel and I immediately knew this wasn’t going to end well for Fernando.

Donaire’s victory over Montiel was a tide-turning moment for the naysayers like me but for Donaire and the millions of fans who always knew he was destined for greatness, Saturday night was a culmination of faith and perseverance.

So what’s next for Donaire?  You name it. 

With fellow country man Manny Pacquiao now with Showtime and Floyd Mayweather Jr. inactive, Nonito has no one to share the HBO stage with.

Some may contend that Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is set to have a break out year but he’s several fights way from delivering the type of stoppage against quality opposition like Donaire did not only against Montiel but also against Sydorenko.

Being at the top of HBO Boxing isn’t just about popularity; it’s about making incredible match-ups and delivering unfathomable displays of athleticism.

It’s also about generating pay-per-view dollars. 

Even though Donaire destroyed the Mexican veteran, Mexican boxing fans will support Donaire for the way he chose to fight Montiel which had parallels to a Manny Pacquiao fight.

For all the reasons above and more I now believe Donaire is more than capable of shouldering the burden that comes with boxing stardom validated by his comments with Max Kellerman.

When asked what he planned to do next, Nonito simply stated he is ready for any challenge at Bantam and Super Bantamweight.

Maybe he's even ready for the talent loaded 126 featherweight division.

A move like that could potentially pit Donaire against Juan Manuel Lopez or Yuriorkis Gamboa, both very powerful pugilists in the 126 weight class. What an exciting prospect!

This young man exudes confidence and made an unbelievable statement—Donaire, HBO’s Boxing Super Star.