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Photo credit: Naoki Fukuda
WBC bantamweight champion Nonito ‘The Filipino Flash’ Donaire 42-6 (28) says he will take a different approach when he faces WBA and IBF counterpart Naoya ‘The Monster’ Inoue 22-0 (19) in a rematch at the Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on June 7.
The evergreen 39-year-old gave Inoue the toughest fight of his career when they met in the final of the World Boxing Super Series at the same venue in November 2019.
Although he lost the fight by unanimous decision, Donaire got his pound of flesh. He fractured Inoue’s right eye but was dropped by a liver shot in the 11th before eventually going down by scores of 111-116, 113-114 and 109-117. The Ring named the bout their Fight of the Year.
Donaire proved his showing against the 29-year-old Japanese star was no fluke, demolishing previously undefeated WBC champion Nordine Oubaali in four one-sided rounds last May. He backed that up with another strong performance, knocking out the undefeated Reymart Gaballo, also in four last December.
But despite his aggressive style, Donaire says he wants to showcase his boxing skills against the pound-for-pound rated Inoue.
“When I fought him the last time and came in there, I just brawled with him, to get him into a war,” Donaire told FightHype. “Now I’m coming to win the fight. That means I’m putting in game plans, I’m putting in the work ethic, I’m putting [in] a lot of boxing IQ.
“Back then I would just go out there and I didn’t really care to watch his fights. That fight woke me up. I can beat this guy… Now I’m here.”
Donaire believes his extensive experience at the top level will be the difference in the fight.
“When I came into that fight the last time – again I give him the biggest respect, I think he’s an incredible, incredible fighter,” Donaire said.
“But in doing so there’s always a flaw. In every fighter there’s a flaw and if you find that flaw it’s when you can create victory on that type of game plan.
“Looking into it, the way I am so composed in [boxing] now, and the way I trust my body to go in there and do its thing I think that will definitely help me win this fight.
“Back then I was playing along with what people were saying I was. Now I’m playing along to what I say I am. That’s the biggest difference.
“I’m gonna go in there and say, ‘You know what, I’m gonna be younger than him, I’m gonna be faster than him, I’m gonna be better than him, I’m gonna be stronger than him’. That’s just what I’m gonna believe in. That’s how I’m gonna go in there with that faith.”
Donaire won his first world title a remarkable 15 years ago when he knocked out IBF flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan with a big left hook in the fifth round.
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