Freddie for Flash?

FOLLOWING Nonito Donaire Jr.’s unanimous decision victory over the bigger Rafael Concepcion last Sunday at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum believes that the Filipino world champion still has room for improvement and suggested to tap the services of renowned boxing coach Freddie Roach as his trainer.

Donaire’s win over Concepcion wasn’t as impressive as most have predicted, but still he took home the World Boxing Association super flyweight crown. However, Arum believes that Donaire can still be a better fighter if he has Roach, pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao’s trainer, by his side.

“There’s only one Freddie Roach,” Arum said in a report posted at Yahoo! Sports. “He’s a guy who has a track record.

He makes his fighters better, almost up and down the board. If Nonito got a guy like Freddie, there’s no telling what he could do.”

Roach molded Pacquiao’s career and brought him up to superstardom. He turned Pacquiao from a brawler to a complete fighter that captured six titles in different weight classes and defeated some of the elite fighters of the game like Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Juan Manuel Marquez, Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera.

Arum has recommended Roach as his new trainer, but the 26-year-old Donaire is contented with his current trainers Dodie Boy and Jonathan Peñalosa, the brothers of two-division world titlist Gerry Peñalosa.

After the departure of his father and coach Nonito Donaire Sr. as his trainer, Donaire Jr. tapped the services of the Peñalosa brothers and they have successfully helped him win his last fight in the Philippines against erstwhile undefeated Raul Martinez.

Donaire destroyed Martinez in the fourth round of their fight last April at the Araneta Coliseum.