Nonito Donaire Jr. Not Interested Joining The Rio 2016 Olympics
Filipino boxing icon Nonito Donaire Jr. recently stated that he is not interested in fighting amateurs like in coming Rio 2016 Olympics.
Donaire is currently holding the WBO junior featherweight championship belt and said in an article in Rappler that he is not going to compete in the Rio Olympics.
“I’m fighting professional fighters of the elite level,” said Donaire as quoted in the article.
Donaire expressed that professionals fighting with amateurs would be unfair since they do not have the experience like the pros.
“As you can see my background is about fairness and being bullied by other people.”
“…I don’t see a guy that’s like Mayweather, Pacquiao or all these guys fighting 18-year-olds who don’t even have that experience and I think it’s unfair,” he added.
In recent reports, the amateur boxing organization already said that AIBA was interested in welcoming professionals in the competition for the first time.
Nonito Donaire Jr. has a current record of 36 wins, 3 losses, including 23 knockouts. On Saturday, April 23, he will be facing Zsolt Bedak from Hungary in Cebu.
It is also reported that the eight-division world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao expressed his interest in joining the Rio Olympics if the opportunity comes. Pacquiao said that he will do everything for his country.
READ ALSO: Manny Pacquiao Was Invited to Compete in Rio Olympics. He is Willing to Represent the Country.
But, Donaire said that the only way to convince him in the Olympics is that the opponents should be top level professionals as well.
“I do feel there is a difference in the levels. Not that they’re not talented but the experience level in themselves shows when it really comes down to it,” he said.
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