Frank Gore to enter boxing ring Saturday

49ers running back Frank Gore will enter the boxing ring this Saturday, July 7, not for a bout of his own but as part of Nonito Donaire's posse. Gore will carry the WBO super bantamweight belt belonging to San Leandro's champion, according to a report from maxboxing.com.

Donaire is scheduled to fight Jeffrey Mathebula (26-3-2, 14 KOs) at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California this weekend in the WBO and IBF super bantamweight title unification fight.

The five-foot-seven Donaire won his last fight at 122-pounds, defeating Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. to claim the vacant WBO super bantamweight title and push his professional record to 28-1-0 with 18 knockouts. He is tied with Andre Ward as the No. 1 pound-for-pound boxer in CSNBayArea.com's Northern California rankings.

Gore cultivated a relationship with Donaire when he began to train with his speed coach Remi Korchemny, the former sprinting coach who runs the Speed Development Center in the Bay Area, reportedly about six weeks ago.

"I work occasionally with Frank," Korchemny said in an email. "I think that Frank benefits from working with Nonito, becoming more persistent and a winning-oriented athlete."

Gore, five-foot-nine and 217 pounds, played in all 16 games in his seventh NFL season after missing time in each of the three seasons prior. The three-time Pro Bowler knows he has to stay on top of his game; the 49ers have a host of backs lining up behind Gore. Kendall Hunter is looking to build off his productive rookie season in which he averaged 4.2 yards per carry. The 49ers drafted Oregon standout LaMichael James and brought in world champion Brandon Jacobs. And Anthony Dixon and Rock Cartwright are both on the roster.

Korchemny played a key role in the 2003 BALCO scandal and was the first coach disciplined by the United States Anti-Doping Agency. Donaire has been working with him, and BALCO founder Victor Conte, for the past two years.

"I'll tell you," Korchemny said. "He is a very motivated and disciplined fighter."


(csnbayarea.com)