Manny Pacquiao: Donaire Credits Fellow Filipino Champion as Inspiration

Manny Pacquiao is training hard for his third bout with Juan Manuel Marquez.

The two fought to a draw in their first bout and Pacquiao won in a split decision the second time around.

Things are different now though. Pacquiao is considered the world's top pound-for-pound fighter and JMM is stepping up in weight for the first time since his bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr.

But while that fight is still a little less than a month away, there is a fight this weekend that has the aura of Pacquiao surrounding it as well.

Nonito Donaire, a 28-year-old Filipino fighter, is set to defend his unified WBO and WBC bantamweight titles at Madison Square Garden against Omar Narvaez.

Donaire is 26-1 with 18 knockouts in his career and credits Pacquiao as a huge inspiration in his career.

The two, according to an article from On the Beak, are friends and have even sparred together.

The quoted defending champion talking on Top Rank TV as saying:

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"Manny is a part of why I’m here, he’s inspired me ... There’s no impossibility of what a man can do when they have that desire in the ring. Manny’s a big part of my success [and] was one of my inspirations as a Filipino. Manny opened a door for me ... I’ve known him since 2000… we used to karaoke a lot and he taught me how to fight lefties. I sparred with Manny in 2001 back at Wildcard."

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That training will come in handy as he'll take on undefeated Argentine southpaw, Omar Narvaez, on October 22.

The 36-year-old fighter is 35-0-2 for his career, but gives up four inches to the "Filipino Flash."

The fight will be a battle, but one that Donaire feels more than ready to handle.

If his inspiration from Manny Pacquiao is any indication, he'll do just fine at the Garden.

While already 28-years-old, Donaire seems poised to take the reigns as the top Filipino fighter in the sport whenever Pacquiao decides to hang up the gloves.