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Q&A with Robert Garcia: Donaire could be my Frazier, Ali

Fighters Network
10
Jan

RingTV.com: What do you think Donaire’s future holds?

RG: Nonito has had a great year this past year, but it’s only the beginning. No one knows what he can bring yet. His potentially is unlimited. Nonito is very strong and talented. He’s so fast, so powerful when he gets into the ring that he could be my next Joe Frazier, or my next Muhammad Ali.

But that’s only something that we’ll see in the next few years. Things can change from one day to the next, but he trains hard and he’s very responsible. Nonito’s got dreams. So there is nothing that can stop him. But boxing is full of surprises. I don’t want to say necessarily that he’s going to be this or that he is going to be that.

But Nonito has all of the talent and the potential to be among the greatest. That would be something great for my career as a trainer. There is no telling what honor he can bring to himself and to me, as well.



RingTV.com: What do you believe we can expect out of him during his next fight, considering Vazquez is more of an offensive fighter than was Narvaez, who was defensive?

RG: Well, he’s going against Vazquez who is going to be right there. He’s not going to do what Narvaez did, and be defensive. Vazquez is going to try and exchange punches. Nonito wants to get hit and likes to get into those competitive fight. He wants his opponent to throw back and he wants to test himself, also.

So that’s something that Vazquez is going to bring. He’s going to be game, and he’s going to be a challenge. He’s going to be a tough fight for Nonito. But this will be a fight where I think that you will see the best out of Nonito and that he will succeed in. He’ll come out with a win.

But not only that, he knows that there are bigger things that could come after this and beyond. So Nonito is very, very motivated. Nonito knows that Vazquez is going to dictate the kind of fight that the fans want to see.

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RingTV.com: Is your brother, Mikey, ready to win a world title?

RG: My brother is ready for any featherweight champion in the world. It’s just a matter of time and he’s been looking better and better every time that he fights. My brother is one of the few fighters who, inside of the ring, he can make his own adjustments and make his own changes if he has to change. He’s very smart.

He’s very calculated inside of the ring. He doesn’t have to wait for the break for us to give him instructions. Even though he does follow instructions very well, and my brother does listen to us. But if he has to make an adjustment in the split-second, he can do that because he’s so smart.

Then, all that we have to do is to give him instructions for the next round and let him know what we think. Very few fighters have that talent, but he’s one of them. My brother knows exactly what’s going on every second of the fight.

RingTV.com: Would you rather Mikey face Salido or Lopez?

RG: I truly believe that Salido would fight Mikey if he wins, because he’s a featherweight who wants to prove himself. He’s won titles and he’s lost titles. I think that if Lopez wins, he’s thinking about the future fights and the bigger names.

I think that if he wins, he moves up to 130 to go after the Yuriorkis Gamboas and the other names and the bigger paydays. That’s the way that he thinks. That’s my guess. He’s a fighter who thinks about the business and the bigger fights, where I think that against Mikey, it’s not as big as it would be against a Gamboa.

But I think that Mikey can be trouble for Lopez. Mikey is very talented and has tremendous power. That would be a tough fight for Lopez and for my brother. Lopez is a left hander who is very skillful and very talented. It won’t be easy for either of them.

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