Donaire not holding breath for Arce

MANILA, Philippines - If Jorge Arce doesn’t step up to the plate and confirm a Dec. 15 bout by this weekend, WBO superbantamweight champion Nonito Donaire Jr. won’t sit around waiting for a fight that can’t seem to happen.

Donaire left Manila for Tokyo last Friday on the way back to Las Vegas where he lives with wife Rachel. The couple flew in from the US a week ago to fulfill promotional commitments here.

“Doctors want me to rest my left hand for a month,” said Donaire who suffered a jagged cut from his first knuckle to his third in hacking out a ninth round stoppage of Toshiaki Nishioka in Carson, California, last Oct. 13. “If they confirm the Arce fight, I’ll need lead time to bring in sparring partners, set up training camp and arrange things. I’m still in shape from the Nishioka fight so conditioning won’t be a problem. I’ll work on endurance and stamina so by the time doctors clear me to spar, I’ll have three weeks left. I want to be 80 percent in shape when I begin sparring so in the run-up, I’ll do a lot of shadow-boxing and roadwork. That way, I’ll start sparring eight to 10 rounds instead of four.”

Donaire said his manager Cameron Dunkin and Top Rank chairman Bob Arum are working double time to finalize the fight against Arce. “I’m used to taking fights at short notice, like even in a few days or a week or two weeks,” he said. “But now, I’m fighting at a different level. Everybody’s watching. I’ve got to bring my A-game in every fight, I’ve got to be 100 percent. If the fight isn’t confirmed by this weekend, I’m sitting out the rest of the year. Arce’s been making too many demands. First, he wanted the fight in Mexico and I agreed. Now, he wants a lot of money. It’s a fight that can be done but I think Arce’s making it difficult. Negotiations are going on right now. I’ve got a set purse (of at least $800,000) so I’m not a problem.”

It took eight stitches to sew up Donaire’s cut in his left hand. “Doctors told me because of how hard I hit, either my bone gets broken or my tissues are torn up,” he explained. “Luckily, it was just the tissues that came apart. The skin on my knuckles got torn up, too. I’ve fractured my left hand in three places before but they’re all healed. The good thing about it is once healed, the bones are stronger.”

Donaire said the wound on his left hand had nothing to do with the way he was wrapped. “(Trainer) Robert (Garcia) wraps my hands and he does an excellent job,” said Donaire. “He compacts the wraps to give me extra protection. He’s the best hand-wrap guy there is. I think if Robert didn’t wrap me up, my injury would’ve been worse. Actually, it’s nothing serious. No broken bones. It just needs time to heal.”

Donaire admitted he’s turned off by Arce’s demands. “It’s a big risk fighting in Mexico,” he said. “You could make a case of recklessness on my part. I’ll be fighting in his place where he’s the favorite with hundreds of thousands cheering him on. But to make the fight happen, I gave in to his demand of fighting in Mexico. I like the challenge.”

Donaire said he plans to stay in Tokyo for a week with Rachel. “We’re visiting my godfather Dr. (Osamu) Kato who hasn’t been well lately,” he said. “I called him by phone after my fight against Nishioka but he couldn’t talk to me. We’re calling on him on Sunday (today). Even if Nishioka is Japanese, I’m so happy that my Japanese fans came out to support me for the fight, including the president of my fans club in Japan.”

Donaire said Nishioka was a tougher opponent than Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. and Jeffrey Mathebula who survived the distance with him in his two previous bouts. “It was like a chess match with Nishioka,” said Donaire. “You make a mistake, you pay for it. That’s why he was less offense-minded. It wasn’t like Vazquez or Mathebula. You could make a mistake against them and you’re still okay. Against Nishioka, you make a mistake and he’ll strike. I never felt Nishioka’s power. I was never hurt. I had to use my brains against him. I knew what he would do so I braced up and beat him to the punch. That’s the respect I have for Nishioka. It seemed like an easier fight than either Vazquez or Mathebula but it wasn’t. It was a hard fight, very different from how I fought Vazquez or Mathebula. I just couldn’t make a mistake.”

Donaire said Arce is tailor-fit for his style because the Mexican likes to come forward with no reverse gear. Arce is a known bleeder with scar tissue all over his face but he’s a warrior. If the fight pushes through, Top Rank plans to put it on pay-per-view because it’s a potential blockbuster.

“It’ll be a great fight for sure,” said Donaire. “Arce is a warrior and fighting in Mexico gives him an advantage. I’ve got to be ready. That’s why I’m giving him only until this weekend to make up his mind or else I’m waiting for my hand to heal the rest of the year.”