Nonito Donaire: “If Manny Pacquiao can land those big punches that he usually does, there’s a possibility of a knockout!”

Nonito Donaire has been a professional boxer for fifteen years and has won world title belts in five different weight classes. He was once thought of as one of the top three boxers in the world and was creating huge ratings on TV in divisions that had never seen mainstream popularity. After a couple of defeats and a decision to drop back down in weight, Nonito Donaire is aiming to reclaim his P4P status, with the first step being against Zsolt Bedak on April 23rd.

In part 2 of my interview with Nonito Donaire, I discuss with him his desire to keep fighting and what it has been like dealing with the ups and downs of his career. Donaire also talks about Manny Pacquiao’s upcoming fight with Timothy Bradley and gives his prediction for what he thinks the result will be. Additionally, Nonito talks about what he hopes he can do in the final stretch of his career and what goals he has. Here is what Nonito Donaire had to say.

Robert Brown: What keeps the fire going for you at this stage in your career?

Nonito Donaire: The knowledge and the experience is as powerful as time, and now that I realize where I’m at and what I want to do, I think that’s the most essential key to be motivated, be inspired, work hard and know that I can be up there. I can be on top and I’m going to be on top. It’s much more fierce because I’m a more dedicated fighter rather than a guy with youth.

Robert Brown: Do you feel the best is yet to come in your career?

Nonito Donaire: Definitely, I feel strongly about it. I’m working harder than before and I’m ready. There’s no fear and there’s a lot of motivation for the challenges I’m looking forward to.

Robert Brown: Your next fight is going to take place in The Philippines. How important is it for you to fight in The Philippines?

Nonito Donaire: It’s always an important fight but being in front of my countrymen and them feeling blessed and gifted for me fighting and for me having the support, it’s incredible. It’s an amazing surge of energy making motivation and inspiration. It’s incredible and I’m truly blessed with it, it’s very important.

Robert Brown: Can I have your official prediction for your fight with Zsolt Bedak?

Nonito Donaire: I don’t really have any prediction. I have to go out there and seek victory, and if I see a knockout, I always go for one, but if not, I’m just gonna be there and the victory is pretty much the key, it doesn’t matter what it is. As you know from the past, I’ve always been the type to want a more satisfying victory, which is a knockout victory. I always go for it when it’s presented in front of me, but if not, we’re gonna be boxing, we’re gonna be smart about it and we’re gonna be ready.

Robert Brown: What are your thought on Manny Pacquiao’s upcoming bout with Timothy Bradley?

Nonito Donaire: It’s a fight that we’ve seen before and it’s a very good contested fight between the two guys. They go out there and they show what they’re capable of. In the last two fights we saw that Manny Pacquiao should have been awarded two victories, but that’s in the opinion of others.

In the fights that I’ve seen, Manny Pacquiao has a good advantage over Bradley, but for now with Bradley’s changes of coach and motivation — as well as Pacquiao’s with focus and politics — it may be a different fight coming into this third one. I would go for Pacquiao to win this fight because of what I’ve seen in the last two fights. But if Manny shows up unfocused and Bradley is more focused, then it’s going to be a different fight.

Robert Brown: Manny has said that he wants to knock Bradley out in this fight but he hasn’t had a knockout win in a number of years. Do you think he can stop Tim?

Nonito Donaire: We’ve seen Bradley in some really tough fights. It depends how tough his chin is still, everybody breaks down. We’ve seen him in very difficult fights and if Manny can land those big punches that he usually does, there’s a possibility of Manny winning that. But it takes a Manny Pacquiao that’s focused and determined.

Robert Brown: Where do you hope to be by the end of 2016?

Nonito Donaire: I want to have at least two belts by this year. I want to challenge the champions and challenge the number one guy who is Rigondeaux and be number one. That’s where I’m going to be for 2016, that’s the plan. We’re not afraid to take on anybody. It’s not to boast, it’s just being confident of what we’re capable of and looking forward to being out there and fighting the best.