Roach, yes, but full-time: Donaire

By Edri K. Aznar

NEWLY-crowned World Boxing Association super flyweight champion Nonito Donaire Jr. isn’t dismissing the idea that he would tap renowned coach Freddie Roach as one of his trainers.

Following his recent world championship victory over the overweight Rafael Concepcion last Sunday at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum advised Donaire to hire Roach as his trainer so that his skills will improve, like what Roach did for pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao.

“It’s (training with Roach) a possibility,” Donaire said last Tuesday in a report at GMANews.tv.

Because of the guidance of Roach, Pacquiao evolved from a brawler to practically a complete fighter who became a world champion in six different divisions, tied with future hall-of-famer Oscar de la Hoya.

Not too keen

Donaire is considering Roach as a vital key in his team, but he isn’t too keen about it because of the coach’s busy schedule.

“Roach is very good, but the problem is that Roach is training a lot of boxers, like Bernabe Concepcion, Amir Khan, and especially Manny. So when I fight maybe he won’t have the time,” he said. “Aside from our great training, we need an intelligent guy to game plan the whole fight. There’s a possibility of it (Roach joining Team Donaire) but I don’t like that I won’t be given attention when the fight comes. I’m not sure, I like 100 percent (attention) so that my fight will be good.”

Camp

The 26-year-old Donaire has lauded his trainers Dodie Boy and Jonathan Peñalosa for an excellent work in the training camp, which he believes were a huge help in his 12-round unanimous decision victory over Concepcion.

“They (Peñalosas) have done a great job, our training was great that’s why I was very conditioned to last for 12 rounds,” said Donaire. “I have a great relationship with them and definitely next fight (they’ll be there to train me). The Peñalosas are now part of my family,” he added.

Aside from his recent win, the Peñalosa brothers also helped him in his last fight as a flyweight, when he dominated and knocked out former undefeated prospect Raul Martinez in the fourth round, of the first installment of the “Pinoy Power” boxing series last April 19 at the Araneta Coliseum.

Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on August 20, 2009.