"If they felt I was lucky and he could beat me, they would have got that rematch right away. It took him a long time to even call me out. And then, when he gets in front of me, he just looks down. He can't even look at me in the eyes. He acts tough and rough, but when I'm in front of him, he acts like a scared dog, but that's Darchinyan for you," stated Nonito Donaire as he shared his thoughts on Vic Darchinyan. Check out what he had to say about Darchinyan's clash this Saturday with Agbeko, his own upcoming showdown with Rafael Concepcion on August 15th and much more.
PC: How have you been doing man?
ND: So far so good. I got some sparring partners working out here and I got everybody in my corner right now. Everything has been good. Running is going good and all of the other stuff has been really good, so I'm real excited.
PC: Who are some of the guys helping you to prepare for this fight against Concepcion?
ND: For this fight, I'm going to be bringing in Jonathan Penalosa and then I'm working with my strength trainer Michael Basel. Those are the main guys who are kicking my butt right now.
PC: You're fighting Rafael Concepcion on pay-per-view August 15th. What do you know about him as a fighter?
ND: Alls I know is he's a tough guy and he's not afraid of anyone. He's going to come in and try to make it rugged I'm sure. He's not the most technical fighter, but he's very rugged and tough. I'm just working on trying to get in the best shape as possible so that I can weather any storm.
PC: So you're expecting the guy to come right at you and try to get you out of there?
ND: Pretty much! He's going to try to go to the body and do whatever he feels he has to do. He's going to try to get rough with me and go all out.
PC: What are some of the things you're working on that you would like to put on display next month?
ND: I'm just getting in shape right now. We're working on throwing a lot of punches and trying to be strong. Right now, my power is increasing. It's getting up there. I know 3 pounds might not be a lot to you guys, but to me, it's more power and muscle on my body. My speed is definitely going to be one of the keys to beating him. I'm confident in my power. If I land it, he's going to feel it. If he doesn't go down, he's going to feel it. If all of my punches land on his face, he's going to be bloodied up.
PC: You've knocked out your last 5 opponents. Is your power something you've been working on in recent camps?
ND: I've always had the power since I turned pro. I'm really confident with it. I'm working on my speed right now because I'm really confident in my power. So whenever I feel I can take a guy out or I see an opening, I'm confident that I can take them out, drop them or hurt them. It's not so much that I've been working on it though because I think it comes natural because of the way I throw my punches. I put all of my body into my punches, but with the speed, we're really working on it.
PC: I recently spoke to Vic Darchinyan and he feels like he made you and thinks that you forgot he made you as a fighter. Do you feel like that win against Darchinyan made you as a fighter?
ND: No, not in any kind of way. It could have been Arce or Montiel. One of those guys could have been the guys that brought me where I'm at. Eventually, I would have surfaced because I'm confident in my abilities. I'm confident with my power and my speed and it was just my time for me to come out. It doesn't matter who it was. I knocked him out bad (laughing) and he was hurting because I took everything away from him; his perfect record, not being down, not being hurt or not being cut. I took all of that away from him with one punch. He's a better person now when it comes down to it. For me, it was just time for me to let the people get to know me.
PC: Do you feel like you've been avoided by Darchinyan and Gary Shaw in any way?
ND: They could have gotten a rematch right off the bat if they felt like they could have took me out. They could have gotten the rematch right after I beat him. If they felt I was lucky and he could beat me, they would have got that rematch right away. It took him a long time to even call me out. And then, when he gets in front of me, he just looks down. He can't even look at me in the eyes. He acts tough and rough, but when I'm in front of him, he acts like a scared dog, but that's Darchinyan for you. I mean, he's a great fighter. I think you could say right now that he's a true champion because even after I knocked him out, he still came back and did whatever he needed to do. But right now, he's getting the confidence to face me again and for them, that was a smart move for them. But for me, I'm a fighter and that's all I really know how to do. So if they want to make the fight happen, don't talk to me, talk to the guys that can make the fight happen.
PC: Last Darchinyan question. He said after he beats Agbeko, he will retire you. First off, do you think he will beat Agbeko and secondly, is that the fight you want assuming everything goes well against Concepcion?
ND: First off, the Agbeko-Darchinyan fightÂ…man, Agbeko is a rough fighter and a tough guy. He's one of those African fighters, which means good defense, good power and he's not the type of guy you can take out easily. If he's able to do that, I will be impressed. That would be even better for me because I like to fight guys that are good and coming off of good wins, not some guy that I think is good. I work really hard in those situations and it brings out the best in me. Whatever God has intended for me to do, I will be more than ready to take on anything.
PC: You haven't lost a fight since your second pro fight in 2001. What have been the keys to your consistency inside of the ring because we see upsets everyday?
ND: I think I have a great team and all of the people that support me. They pump me up and train me and with all of my fans and all of my supporters and my coaches are always helping me out. It also helped when I brought God into my life and everything and it helps because I go into that ring respecting my opponent. Boxing is a tough sport and anyone that goes through that campÂ…you know, people are saying Rafael Concepcion shouldn't be there against me and that's tough. Boxing is a tough sport, but I come into that ring and I think the consistency comes because I respect my opponent. I know that they are capable of anything. Like you said, boxing, there are always upsets and I try not to make that happen by respecting my opponents and training hard.
PC: You've been called the guy that will eventually replace Manny Pacquiao as the Filipino superstar. Is that pressure for you or motivation?
ND: It is a lot of pressure because my whole country is behind me as well. They give me a lot of love and I gotta really show up every time I fight. But for me, really, I just want to look at it one day at a time. I'll move up however big my body can get; whatever division I can reach and not worry about the other stuff around me that can mess with my mind. I just look at one thing and look straight forward and do my best.
PC: Good luck on August 15th. I really appreciate your time. Is there anything you want to say in closing to your fans?
ND: I just want to thank everyone out there that gives me support. They can visit www.filipinoflash.com and get updates on what I do. I'm a very simple guy, but they can get to know me through my website and also get updates on my daily life. Of course everyone should tune in for Pinoy Power 2. If you can't make it there and support me, you can watch it on pay-per-view. So I want to thank my supporters for everything. Don't forget this Saturday July 11th you guys can come out and meet and greet me and see me train. Come watch how hard I train. So if you guys are in the Bay area, come check it out and see how I train. And thank you very much Percy for taking the time to do this interview with me.
PC: Thank you and I will speak to you after the fight bro. Tell Rachel I said thanks for the interview.
ND: No problem man.
[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]