Nonito Donaire is all business in the ring. But the man known as the Filipino Flash will add a little spice to his ring walk next Saturday against Fernando Montiel with his very own Hip-Hop theme music.
Hip-Hop themed ring walks have been popular since the late 80s, when Mike Tyson would routinely utilize confrontational songs such as Public Enemy’s “Welcome to the Terrordome.” In the mid 90s, Iron Mike used a customized song from the late Tupac Shakur for his fight against Bruce Seldon. More recently, fighters such as Cory Spinks (Nelly) and Roy Jones (Method Man & Redman) have recruited rappers for their ring walks.
For Donaire’s foray into the storied tradition, he picked an East Coast-based Filipino group.
“I got a few guys rapping with me. They’re very talented in what they do,” Donaire told Beats, Boxing & Mayhem. “I know a lot of Bay Area rappers who are Filipino and they get hyphy [laughs]. I got some guys from the East who are making my entrance song.”
While Donaire doesn’t mind care-free, dance-centered Hip-Hop, he is impressed when artists can incorporate thought-provoking lyrics into their art. That trait is one of the main reasons he selected the Flipino collective Children of the Sun to create his theme.
“The thing about Filipinos is when they start rapping, they try to put meaning in it,” Donaire explained. “They have a lot of pride in their music…We have a song for the fight. The group’s name is Children of the Sun. They actually say in the lyrics ‘We are Filipino, don’t be ashamed if you have a flat nose.’ Or kind of like that. And they go on about Filipinos and boxing. It’s a really a good piece and I’m walking in to it for this fight.”
Nonito Donaire vs. Fernando Montiel will air live next Saturday (February 19) on HBO.
Beats, Boxing and Mayhem 
