The scheduled April 28 (Manila time) fight of World Boxing Association (WBA) ?super? bantamweight champion Nonito ?The Filipino Flash? Donaire Jr. in Lafayette, Louisiana will push through, albeit against last-minute substitute Stephon ?Showstopper? Young.
Donaire, 39-5, 25 knockouts, was supposed to square off with World Boxing Organization (WBO) counterpart champion Zolani Tete of South Africa in the semifinal round of the World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) bantamweight (118 lbs.) tournament. Tete, however, injured his right shoulder early this week while doing the pads. Not wanting to face the dangerous Donaire with a bum shoulder, Tete opted to withdraw from the unification fight.
Donaire will end up defending his WBA bantamweight crown against Young, who was called in by WBSS officials as a contingency boxer. Young (18-1, 3 draws, 7 knockouts) is supposed to fight this weekend and is thus reporting for duty in tip-top condition. The winner of the Donaire-Young title fight will earn a spot in the WBSS Finals opposite the winner of the other semifinal matchup between WBA ?regular? bantamweight champ Naoya ?The Monster? Inoue and IBF king Emmanuel Rodriguez
A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Young is currently ranked No. 5 by the WBA in the 118-pound division. He made his pro debut in August 2011, a month after narrowly missing a spot on the United States boxing team for the 2012 London Olympics. Young was unbeaten in his first 20 paid contests, but was held to a draw in three outings.
Young actually amassed a 17-0 record by feasting on pedestrian opponents. In April 2016, he figured in his first real test and barely escaped defeat with a draw against fellow prospect Nikolay Potapov.
On March 23, 2018, Young suffered his first pro setback when he dropped a lopsided decision to Filipino Reymart Gaballo in a battle for the interim WBA bantamweight diadem. The hard-punching Gaballo knocked down Young in the third round with a huge right hand and the American spent the remainder of the fight on survival mode.
Style-wise, the 30-year-old Young fights like Adrien ?The Problem? Broner. Young is a tricky, flashy southpaw boxer like Broner, but he also has the same flaws. On offense, Young appears hesitant to pull the trigger, particularly when facing a relentless puncher. This was evident in the Gaballo fight when Young elected to just stay on his bicycle after the Filipino mopped the canvas with his face in the third stanza.
Young has won just one fight since losing to Gaballo, posting a lackluster decision against trialhorse Wilner Soto last October. He was supposed to fight journeyman Daniel Lozano in the undercard of the Donaire-Tete fight, but the fight has since been scrapped with Young now poised to take on Donaire.
Donaire, 36, had been pegged as the underdog against Tete, but tables have been turned and he is now the smart money bet to prevail against the inexperienced Young.
Donaire may no longer be in his prime, but his punches still pack a wallop. He is also back in the bantamweight division which he once ruled with impunity. Last November, Donaire displayed flashes of brilliance when he stopped the previously unbeaten Ryan Burnett to win the ?super? version of the WBA hardware.
The debilitating body shots Donaire utilized to bring down Burnett will come in handy anew. Young moves a lot in the ring and Donaire?s body assaults figure to slow down the American. Young?s defense remains suspect and Donaire?s clubbing right hand will be a prominent weapon.
Gaballo pressured Young like a relentless debt collector during their meeting and only Young?s fleet-footed style and innate refusal to mix it up prevented the Filipino from posting a stoppage win. The fact that Young does not seem to carry any pop in his punches figures to motivate Donaire to put the pressure on and take some risks on the inside.
Donaire-Tete would have been a better fight, but boxing fans will have to settle for Young. Young is looking to make the most of the opportunity, but he has never met anyone with Donaire?s experience and power.
At a time when Donaire is barely hanging on to keep his career alive, the fight with Young should give him a lease on life, boxing-wise.
