BELFAST’S Ryan Burnett will face the “toughest challenge” of his career when he takes on Nonito Donaire in Glasgow tomorrow night, according to trainer Adam Booth.
Reigning WBA bantamweight champion Burnett landed two world belts with victories over Lee Haskins and Zhanat Zhakiyanov last year, but Booth believes the 20th contest of his pro career will be the most difficult to date.
Donaire is a former four-weight world champion and, although he hasn’t boxed at bantamweight since 2011, the London-based trainer is expecting the ‘Filipino Flash’ to be at his best once he steps between the ropes at the SSE Hydro.
“Absolutely - head and shoulders above any other challenge he’s had,” said Booth when asked if the 35-year-old represented the biggest test of Burnett’s career.
“He’s probably been in with the strongest bantamweight in the world in Zhakiyanov, and he’s probably been in with the trickiest bantamweight in Lee Haskins, and Ryan has proved he has the ability to apply different styles.
“In this fight, he’s got a very accomplished, a very balanced, smart box-puncher who has got good speed, good power and good legs, so it’s for Ryan to test every element of what he can do against someone that can do it just as proficiently.”
And, according to Booth, the Belfast man has pushed himself to the limit to make sure he is in the best possible shape for tomorrow night’s World Boxing Super Series showdown.
“He has pushed himself in some of the sessions in a way that I haven’t seen him do before. You want it to be like that going into the toughest challenge he’s ever faced as a fighter,” added Booth.
“Nonito Donaire is the most accomplished fighter he has ever stepped in the ring with, so it’s just as well he’s in the best condition.”
