Donaire wary of foe's hunger

MANILA, Philippines – Nonito Donaire Jr. has been aware of Jessie Magdaleno’s long-held desire to fight him.

That’s why the WBO super bantamweight champion is considering the undefeated Magdaleno as a serious contender for his title.

"Jessie is a great challenger, a mandatory title defense and I know he's hungry because he has been calling me out on social media," said Donaire at Wednesday’s press conference at The Conga Room in Los Angeles , California.

Donaire will defend his belt against Magdaleno in the undercard of Manny Pacquiao’s fight with Jessie Vargas on November 5 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

The 23-year-old Magdaleno is unbeaten in 23 fights, and he’s knocked out 17 opponents so far.

At one point, Donaire called his mandatory challenger a “young lion.”

.@filipinoflash calls himself a "king" & Magdaleno a young lion. Then: "I devour lions."

— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) September 27, 2016

Magdaleno, for his part, expressed delight to finally land his dream fight.

"As a kid I've dreamt of this moment and the time is finally here. On November 5th I will be victorious with my hands raised up high and a belt around my waist," said Magdaleno.

This time, Donaire will train under Cuban Ismael Salas, having parted ways amicably with his father and former cornerman Nonito Sr.

So far, things are going well with his new trainer.

"I am working great with my new trainer Ismael Salas. We are learning about each other and he's instructing me on a more precise, compact way of fighting while still being very explosive as everyone is going to see on November 5," said Donaire.