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It’s back to the future for four-division world champion and 2012 Fighter of the Year Year Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire as he finishes off a training camp that hasn’t been this rigorous and back to basics since his stellar year in 2012.
Donaire is moving up yet another weight division, this time to challenge WBA featherweight champion Simpiwe“V12” Vetyeka.
Promoted by Top Rank and Sands China Ltd, in association with Tecate, PS4 and Foreman Boys Promotions, Vetyeka vs. Donaire will be televised from the Cotai Arena at The Venetian Macao, this Saturday, May 31, on HBO, beginning at 4:00 p.m. ET/PT.
The telecast will also include the world super middleweight title rematch between defending champion Carl Froch and top contender George Groves, which will take place at Wembley Stadium in London.
“Last year I got away from what made me successful and I paid the price for that when I met Guillermo Rigondeaux. And even when I knocked out Vic Darchinyan in our rematch last year, that wasn’t the best me,” said a very candid Donaire.
“I agree with Nonito 100%,” said his father Nonito Donaire, Sr., who is back in his corner as head trainer. “Nonito got away from what made him great – his speed and footwork in combination with his power. Last year he just came forward, didn’t move his head and relied too much on his power, and that’s exactly the wrong way to fight a pure boxer like Rigondeaux as we all saw.
“This camp we went back to Nonito’s bread and butter – creating a mix that combines speed, movement and power. I have never seen a fighter work harder and totally dedicate himself to his tasks than Nonito did during this training camp.”
The Donaires remember all too well what it was like to enter a world championship fight as underdogs. Seven years and 15 pounds ago, Donaire shook up the boxing world with a one-punch stoppage of undefeated International Boxing Federation flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan, ending his three-year world title reign. It was the consensus Knockout of the Year and Upset of the Year for 2007.
“It’s been a long time since I entered a fight as an underdog but that has inspired me more,” said the four-division world champion. “I reevaluated everything. I moved my training camp to the Philippines to take advantage of the heat and humidity and to eliminate the distractions I had in Las Vegas.
“It was a great move. I let a lot of things I worked hard to achieve slip through my fingers last year. I want to return to where I was in 2012 and go beyond that for the reminder of my boxing career.
“I had to work on a lot of things in camp because Vetyeka is so multidimensional inside the ring. He’s dangerous and has a lot of weapons. His last two fights were knockout victories of Daud Yordan and Chris John. Those are two tough guys. But I am confident I have the game plan and the talent to beat him. There is no doubt that May 31 at The Venetian Macao is going to be my finest hour.”
Donaire vs. Vetyeka is one of three featherweight world championship battles headlining Featherweight Fury! at Cotai Arena. Undefeated WBA featherweight champion Nicholas “The Axe Man” Walters will defend his title against two-division world champion Vic “Raging Bull” Darchinyan; and undefeated IBF champion Evgeny “The Mexican Russian” Gadovich, making his third consecutive featherweight title defense at the Cotai Arena, will be battling No. 1 contender Alexander Miskirtchian.
Walters vs. Darchinyan and Gradovich vs. Miskirtchian and most of the undercard will be streamed live via http://www.toprank.tv. The only undercard bout not available via the live stream will be the IBF junior featherweight title elimination bout between Top-Five contenders Chris “The Hit Man” Avalos and Yasutaka Ishimoto.
That fight will be televised via same-day delay as the main event on Sólo Boxeo Tecate on UniMás. The winner will be declared the IBF’s No. 1 contender and mandatory challenger to IBF junior featherweight champion Kiko Martinez.
Promoted by Top Rank and Sands China Ltd, in association with Tecate, PS4 and Foreman Boys Promotions, Featherweight Fury will take place on Saturday, May 31, with the first bout beginning at 5:30 p.m. local time. Tickets to the multi-bout event can be purchased at all Cotai Ticketing box offices and are available in seven categories, ranging from HKD/MOP 80 (~PHP 450) to HKD/MOP 3,280 (~PHP 18,800). HKD/MOP 88 adds a round trip Cotai Water Jet ferry ticket between Hong Kong and Macao (HKD/MOP 80 tickets excluded).
Tickets can be booked online at www.cotaiticketing.com, or by phone at +853 2882 8818 (Macao) / +852 6333 6660 (HK) / 4001 206 618 (China) / +63 2 395 3370 (Philippines). Tickets are also available through Hong Kong Ticketing (customer service fee applies), online at www.HKTicketing.com or by phone at +852 3128 8288, and via Macao Kong Seng Ticketing Network, online at www.macauticket.com, by phone at +853 2855 5555, or in person at selected retail outlets (for locations, visit www.macauticket.com/TicketWeb/ServiceStations.aspx.)
Hotel packages including two tickets and one night accommodation at your choice of The Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel, Conrad Macao, Cotai Central; Sheraton Macao Hotel, Cotai Central; Holiday Inn Macao Cotai Central; or Four Seasons Hotel Macao, Cotai Strip are also available for purchase starting at HKD/MOP 3,240† (~PHP 18,500) through Cotai Ticketing.
NOTE: Bouts and times subject to change
