Nonito Donaire takes another step towards coming out of the shadow of his more illustrious fellow Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao when he challenges Fernando Montiel of Mexico for the bantamweight crown next month.
One of the most technically gifted and powerful punchers in boxing today, Donaire has been fed mostly easy fights ever since he shocked the boxing world by knocking out Vic Darhcinyan to capture the International Boxing Federation flyweight title in 2007.
It?s not his fault though. That knockout victory was one of the most devastating left hooks ever thrown by a small kid. Darchinyan, then the most feared and undefeated in his division, never knew what hit him to this day.
It was Donaire?s coming out party. But the party has somewhat paused too soon for him.
After that Darchinyan caper, many in flyweight division avoided him, including the Armenian who was offered a rematch.
Donaire was forced to give up his flyweight title and moved to heavier weights to find competitive fights that became far and few in between.
True, he fought seven times after Darchinyan but only two of them are in defense of his flyweight crown.
Donaire, who grew up in General Santos City like Pacquiao before migrating to the US, is hoping a convincing victory over veteran Montiel will again open up more windows of opportunity for him.
With a dearth in talent in the heavier divisions other than where Pacquiao is toiling, boxing fans are now looking for exciting fights in the lighter class.
This is an opportunity for Donaire, who is known for his moniker The Filipino Flash, to prove that there is life in boxing beyond Pacquiao. He could use the next two years as a transition towards a Pacquiao-less boxing world and position himself as a bankable marquee fighter.
At 28, Donaire is approaching his peak and may not be able to add more weight beyond 124 pounds where the next bevy of boxing talents abounds.
Donaire cannot afford to blow up his ring date with Montiel and still hopes to inherit the mantle of Philippine boxing from Pacquiao.
He has what it takes to become a crossover star in the American market. He has the skills, the looks and the intelligence and articulateness to keep the fans coming in.
Although he came in an inopportune time ? the US still in recession and boxing fans still fixated with Pacquiao ? Donaire can create his own niche. No, he won?t ever get the kind of money his fellow General Santos City resident is now getting. But at least, he can proudly say he, too, is a top tier fighter who may be better all around boxer than Pacquiao.
