Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire says he hopes to beat WBC and WBO world bantamweight champion Fernando “Cochulito” Montiel in their Feb. 11 showdown and then plans to move up and hopefully take on WBO super bantamweight champion Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. The 26-year-old Vazquez won the vacant title with a fourth-round knockout over under-trained “Marvelous” Marvin Sonsona on Feb. 27, 2010 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Sonsona, the former WBO super flyweight champion, moved up two divisions to face Vazquez with no previous tune-up fights at the heavier weight.
Vazquez has a record of 20-0-1 with 17 knockouts and is the son of the legendary Wifredo Vazquez, the former world WBA super bantam and featherweight champion.
Donaire, the WBA Continental Americas bantamweight champion, arrives with wife Rachael on Tuesday morning from San Francisco.
“After Montiel, I think I want to try to move up to 122,” Donaire told the Inquirer. “I feel really strong and I’m not coming down as much, so maybe after Montiel, I’m going to move up, unless the guys in the ongoing bantamweight tournament will fight and I will go for it. But I’m not going to wait for them to finish their tournament.”
Donaire, who will receive a welcome from ABS-CBN, which telecasts his fights, said: “I want to go out there and face the champions in the higher divisions.”
He mentioned WBO 122-lb champion Vazquez Jr. and said “that’ll be fun.”
Ronnie Nathanielsz, Phil. Daily Inquirer
