Omar Narvaez confident of toppling Nonito Donaire Jr.
NEW YORK—Argentina's Omar Narvaez oozed with confidence when he finally spoke Wednesday about his world championship fight with Filipino titleholder Nonito Donaire Jr.
Narvaez said he's going to pull off a stunning upset when he battles Donaire, the WBO and WBC bantamweight champ, on Oct. 22, at the Theatre of the Madison Square Garden.
"He is still young. I have the experience, I have been in this situation many times," the 36-year-old Narvaez told a Top Rank Promotions writer.
Fighting for the first time on United States soil and at 118 pounds, he said that his relative obscurity from media's prying eyes will work to his advantage.
"That's good, bigger target," Donaire jokingly told his trainer Robert Garcia.
The 5-foot-7 Donaire, acknowledged as the quicker, more powerful puncher of the two combatants, said he is upbeat about his chances because he holds one very big edge.
"I'm the smarter boxer," he said.
Though he trained during his media workout at nearby Kingsway Gym, Donaire also buckled down to work late Tuesday and jogged until 11 p.m. He said he's feeling sharp because he can now recuperate faster than before.
He credited it to a recovery cocktail prepared by his controversial strength and conditioning coach Victor Conte.
At the Philippine Consulate here, Donaire received words of encouragement from staff and a coffeetable book from Consul General Mario de Leon.
Donaire also fielded questions from the US-based reporters where he revealed that he was bullied when he was a kid.
Donaire said he plans to move up in weight and fight three times next year, including one, hopefully, at the 16,000-seater SM arena being constructed at the Mall of Asia in Pasay.
But before that, Donaire and wife Rachel are set to marry in church on Nov. 11 in Manila.
Rachel also clarified that her involvement in Team Donaire is something Nonito himself wanted.