Nonito Donaire and Jessie Magdaleno Are Set to Square Off on the Manny Pacquiao-Jessie Vargas November 5 Card
Veteran Filipino boxer Nonito Donaire (37-3, 24 KOs) will take on undefeated Las Vegas boxing star Jessie Magdaleno (23-0, 17 KOs) on the undercard of Manny Pacquiao vs. Jessie Vargas on November 5 at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.
The up-and-coming star Magdaleno looks to stay undefeated, while Donaire is coming off four consecutive wins and is out to prove that he isn’t going anywhere just yet.
Magdaleno is confident that the strength and energy which accompany his youth will help him come out victorious and claim Donaire’s WBO Junior Featherweight title.
While Magdaleno is banking on his youth, Donaire is counting on his experience in the ring and his love for the sport of boxing to help him retain his belt.
Who will walk away with the World Boxing Organization Junior Featherweight belt?
This will remain a mystery until these two warriors step into the ring on November 5. This co-main event to Pacquiao-Vargas is much anticipated and predicted to be an all-out slugfest.
While Donaire is predicting a Filipino sweep—with both himself and Pacquiao winning—Magdaleno is convinced that he and Vargas (both Vegas locals) will walk away with the belts in front on their hometown crowd.
“Both Jessie’s from Las Vegas beating both big fighters from the Philippines,” said Magdaleno (per The LA Times). “That’d be something.”
At recent undercard press conferences, Magdaleno did not hold back his excitement about the opportunity to fight in the co-main-event before Pacquiao-Vargas and the chance to earn his first world title.
Magdaleno has been training in Carson, CA beside undefeated WBO featherweight Oscar Valdez. Magdaleno stated that the sessions have proven to be beneficial for him, and articulated the fact that he can relate to Valdez, being the same age and working towards being the best in the sport,” said Magdaleno.
“He’s accomplished his goals. I’m ready to accomplish mine,” said Magdaleno. “We feed off each other. He has a belt like the one I want, and he sees in me the hunger as I train and work hard.”
Not only is Magdaleno facing a huge test in fighting an experienced veteran, he is facing a significant weigh-in test before the bout. Magdaleno hasn’t fought under the super-bantamweight limit of 122-pounds since January of 2015. He weighed 131.5 pounds in his most recent bout against Rey Perez in February.
“That’s everybody’s concern. It’s not my concern. I can make that weight, it’s going to be an easy task,” said Magdaleno. “The time’s here. I’ll take full advantage of it. I believe youth is going to overpower [Donaire].”
If you have ever watched Magdaleno fight, you can see how passionate he is about boxing. With several fights in Vegas, Magdaleno has always had a great support system and fan base show up to his fights. With every victory, he has been humble and expressed his gratitude for his fans.
The veteran Donaire is looking to keep up his momentum after scoring three knockdowns in his last four victories. Donaire is also excited to finally be fighting on a card with fellow Filipino fighter Pacquiao and is confident in his prediction for a Filipino sweep in the final two bouts.
“It’ll come down to who has the heart to keep going,” said Magdaleno. “I’m a big risk taker. Risks make champions. I’ve got to be the stronger, smarter fighter and once he feels my power, he’ll have an entirely different mentality.”
Will experience or youth prevail on November 5?
Both fighters are confident they will end the fight early. Donaire is confident that his experience and heart will lend him a victory over Magdaleno.
Magdaleno’s confidence lies in his youth and his passion for his sport.
One thing is for sure, boxing fans can expect a war between two driven fighters who are each looking to prove they deserve to be champion.
