As has been rumored throughout February, Nonito Donaire?s opponent for his comeback fight March 28 in the Philippines will be Brazilian journeyman William Prado. The bout is now listed on boxrec.com, which often is the best standard for determining whether a given promotion is a rumor or a reality.
Perhaps more important than Prado?s identity is that Donaire is going back down to 122 pounds after having been overpowered by the obviously larger Nicholas Walters as he lost his WBA featherweight title in October.
Donaire dominated the 122-pound division in 2012, winning four title fights and earning Fighter of the Year honors, but he lost to 122-pounder Guillermo Rigondeaux in April 2013 and looked less than legendary in three subsequent fights at 126, although he escaped with victories in two of them.
Donaire (33-3, 21 knockouts) is overdue for an easy fight. Other than his final fight of 2012, a three-round stoppage of past-prime Mexican Jorge Arce, Nonito hasn?t had an easy fight in five years since his February 2010 super-flyweight victory over Manuel Vargas, who took the fight on short notice and was overwhelmed by Donaire in three rounds.
Donaire has fought 12 times since then, and the closest thing to a walkover other than Arce was his disappointingly easy but boring victory over clearly intimdated Omar Narvaez in New York in October 2011.
Prado (22-4-1, 15 knockouts) looks less formidable on paper than Vargas did then, since Vargas was coming off a creditable performance in a loss to Donnie Nietes ? who will be on the March 28 card, by the way. But Prado is a few months younger than Donaire, and afterward it will remain to be seen whether Donaire, perhaps the greatest 112-pounder ever, has retained enough of his skills to return to superstar status.
He has to reach 122 pounds without too much strain and look impressive against Prado, but both seem likely, and then we?ll see if he can gain a rematch with Rigondeaux or fight a rising star like Leo Santa Cruz.
