Donaire nears top form

NONITO Donaire Jr. is slowly reacquiring his championship form with a little more than a month before his return to the ring since suffering the first knockout loss of his career.

Donaire Jr. is deep in training under the guidance of his father, Nonito Donaire Sr., in the US and so far everything is running according to plan.

“He’s doing really well, he’s slowly returning back to his old style,” Donaire Sr. told Sun.Star Cebu.

Donaire Jr. has already logged 24 rounds of sparring starting his training camp in January. Evident of his return to championship form, Donaire Jr. dropped his sparring partner Jesus Sandoval just last week.

“He sparred last Friday and he knocked down his sparring partner in the second round,” said Donaire Sr.

Donaire Jr., 33-3 with 21 knockouts, makes his ring comeback on March 28 in the 30th edition of ALA Promotions and ABS-CBN Sport’s successful boxing series, “Pinoy Pride”. The 32-year-old Filipino superstar takes on experienced Brazilian William Prado for the vacant North American Boxing Federation (NABF) super bantamweight belt at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, Metro Manila as a coheadliner with World Boxing Organization (WBO) light flyweight king Donnie Nietes.

“He isn’t an easy opponent because he comes in to fight,” said Donaire Sr. of his son’s opponent. “We shouldn’t take him lightly because he has power.”

The 31-year-old Prado is a former WBO Latina bantamweight champion and has a 22-4-1 record that includes 15 knockouts. He has fought the likes of current World Boxing Association (WBA) bantamweight titleholder Scott Quigg and former world champion Paulus Ambunda.