Pete Apolinar (right) poses with Japanese boxing superstar Naoya Inoue. | Photo from Apolinar’s Facebook page
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Omega Boxing Gym’s Pete “Thunder” Apolinar shrugged off critics including some Filipino boxing fans who bashed him for helping unbeaten Japanese boxing star Naoya Inoue prepare for his June 7 unification duel with Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire Jr. in Japan.
Apolinar and world-rated prospect Kevin Jake Cataraja of Zip Sanman Boxing are in Japan for a month now as Inoue’s sparring partners.
With them as Inoue’s sparring partners drew mixed reactions from Filipino boxing fans on social media, mostly criticizing them for helping the Japanese boxer instead of Donaire.
However, Apolinar just brushed aside the criticisms saying they’re only there for business and nothing more.
“Hindi na po naman namin pinapansin yung bashers kasi nga po wala namn din po silang alam sa mga ganitong bagay kasi po wala po sila sa mundo ng boxing. Besides po kung kami rin namn kinuha ni champ Nonito (Donaire) panigurado doon din po kami pupunta, purely work lang po walang personalan,” said Apolinar who was already hired by Inoue as his sparring partner before.
The 27-year-old Apolinar who sports a record of 16 wins with 10 knockouts and two defeats is the current Oriental Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) super bantamweight champion.
In addition, he has been one of Inoue’s regular sparring partners every time the latter has an upcoming fight.
For Apolinar, his experience sparring with a boxing superstar like Inoue is a rare chance he can’t pass off. For him, he can learn a lot of important techniques and styles from sparring with a boxer of Inoue’s stature.
“Yung experience na ma gain namin sa kanya as a high-level boxer, kumbaga he is not an ordinary boxer. Syempre yung karangalan din po na maimbitahan kasi nga po sa dami ng boxers sa buong mundo na pwede nilang kunin, kami pa ang pinili. Syempre nakaka proud kasi Pinoy po kami eh. Once in a lifetime experience din po kasi hindi sa lahat ng panahon tayo ang kukunin at hindi po yun mababayaran,” Apolinar explained. /rcg
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