FOUR-WEIGHT WORLD champion and bona fide Hall-of-Famer Nonito Donaire [38-5, 24KOs] claims Saturday’s challenge in the shape of Ireland’s WBA World bantamweight champion Ryan Burnett [19-0, 9KOs] has sparked a newfound “desire and inspiration” in him even at the age of 35.
Both fighters came face to face once more at today’s press conference ahead of their World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) quarter-final at Glasgow’s SSE Hydro Arena, in a bill which also features a WBSS light-welterweight last-eight clash between Scotland’s Josh Taylor and American Ryan Martin.
After bantamweight top seed Burnett selected the decorated Donaire as his opponent in the quarters back in July, the fighters and their significant others went for dinner together to shoot the breeze.
That respect was again evident at this evening’s presser, with neither man making any brash predictions as to what might transpire when they seek to split each other’s eyebrows, and not a restaurant bill, come Saturday night.
“The only thing I haven’t done in boxing is become undisputed champion,” Donaire began. “I’ve done multiple[-weight] champion, unified champion, knockout of the year, fighter of the year — you name it, I’ve done it all.
“The one thing I haven’t done is undisputed, and that’s what’s given me this fire.
“This is an amazing opportunity and I’m going to give it all I got. I’ve never been shy when it comes to fighting, I’m never shy when it comes to anything.
“I’m just grateful to be in the ring with a great man, so let’s make it happen.”
Burnett will be Donaire’s second successive foe to hail from Belfast: ‘The Filipino Flash’ endeared himself to fight fans up north both before and after his points defeat to local legend Carl Frampton back in April — that fight taking place up at featherweight.
The big-punching Pinoy, who rattled ‘The Jackal’ late on and has dropped two divisions to partake in the WBSS bantamweight tournament, admitted he noticed one particular similarity not only between Frampton and Burnett, but between the Belfast duo and himself.
“Belfast guys are tough guys — that’s for sure,” said Donaire.
There are definitely similarities: they’ve got big balls. They’re there to fight. And that’s something that I like.
“As you know, from the history of me in this game, I’ve always come to fight the best out there. I’ve always reached out to fight the best out there.”
🗣 “There’s a mission. Mission victory. This is the moment for me to rise.” @filipinoflash 🥊🥊#BurnettDonaire #WBSS2 🏆 #AliTrophy pic.twitter.com/DLK8wsZ0zl
— World Boxing Super Series (@WBSuperSeries) October 31, 2018
“We don’t make any prediction in anything,” Donaire said when asked how he foresees Saturday night’s fight unfolding. “But one thing that we’re here for is…there’s a mission. The mission is victory.
“This is a moment for me to rise. When one is driven to a point, there’s only one way for me to go, and that’s going up — that’s rising beyond what I’m capable of.”
Burnett, for his part, indicated that he’d noticed a couple of chinks in Donaire’s armour versus Frampton but nothing especially pertinent to his own fight with the Filipino former champion.
“Yeah, of course,” said the 26-year-old, still sporting a shiner beneath his right eye from sparring. “I think everyone has things that they think they can exploit but, I mean, there’s not much with Nonito: he is an incredible fighter.
This is what every fighter dreams of — sitting right here, doing exactly this. We all dream of these moments — of fighting the best and becoming the best in the world.
“The World Boxing Super Series, they’re making that come true. Not just for the boxers, but for the fans — this is what the world needs.”
🗣 “We all dream of these moments. #WBSS makes our dreams come true.” @ryanburnett01 #BurnettDonaire #WBSS2 🏆 #AliTrophy pic.twitter.com/ZMNHdraVka
— World Boxing Super Series (@WBSuperSeries) October 31, 2018
Saturday’s victor will face South Africa’s WBO World bantamweight champion Zolani Tete — a long-mooted prospective opponent for Burnett — in a WBSS semi next year.
Donaire and Burnett were each asked to preemptively suggest how they would deal with the Frank Warren-promoted knockout artist, who in Belfast last November delivered upon Siboniso Gonya the fastest world-title knockout ever recorded, flattening his compatriot inside 11 seconds with the very first punch of the fight.
Donaire went first, asserting that, “Tete is an incredible fighter”, and “we’ll have to come up with a different gameplan.”
Burnett’s response?
“I’ll tell you on Saturday.”
Burnett-Donaire will not be broadcast on TV in Ireland or the UK on Saturday, but will be available to watch for free on the World Boxing Super Series website.
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