Perhaps now, boxing experts from US and around the world will respect Nonito Donaire Jr. The new WBC and WBO bantamweight king?s devastating win over a game but outclassed Fernando Montiel should finally ? finally ? cement his name in all accounts of boxing?s best active boxers. The confidence, all-around skill, power and killer instinct Donaire showed in yesterday?s title match illustrated how mature and comfortable he is where he is now.
Prior to this fight, for whatever reason, boxing writers and even non-boxing media merely gave him a passing nod, not an emphatic endorsement as one of today?s greats. Of course, eight-time world champion Manny Pacquiao is in a class of his own, and is mentioned in the same breath as all-time greats like Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Mike Tyson, and other superstars on boxing?s galaxy. But for Donaire to be ignored or ranked poorly even by international boxing media is ludicrous. It seemed as if there was a conspiracy to ignore him after his sensational win over Vic Darchinyan in 2007 didn?t produce a steady stream of blockbuster fights.
But how can you ignore a double-barreled threat who has not lost in 25 fights? Despite the distractions he had a couple of years ago, Donaire has kept on rolling. He hasn?t ducked anyone, hasn?t picked his opponents, but has steadily mowed them all down. In fact, Montiel was considered the big fish that he needed to hurdle. And The Filipino Flash made short work of him.
Let?s look at some of the low rankings, false impressions and downright injustice foisted on boxing fans by experts in the field, along with some other popular new media. While it seems everyone has jumped on the Manny Pacquiao (some would Pacquiao-Mayweather) bandwagon, few have expressed their faith in the abilities of Donaire.
As this writer mentioned in Saturday?s piece, we are hoping that the distraction of the NBA All-Star Game didn?t dampen the impact of Donaire?s fabulous victory.
For the benefit of non-boxing readers, a ?pound-for-pound list? ranks boxers regardless of weight division. Instead, what is used his ability, record, longevity and quality of opposition, among other criteria. It is somewhat subjective, but should by all rights be guided by stats and results of fights. There will be some debate depending on nationality, and so on. Europeans, for instance, don?t really fancy the lower weight classes. Asians are the opposite. There has never been an Asian heavyweight contender. Champions who have stayed undefeated or have held multiple world titles (and a handful have even held titles simultaneously) are held in even higher esteem.
As of Feb. 13, The Ring Magazine?s own current pound for pound list places Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather, Sergio ?Maravilla? Martinez and Juan Manuel Marquez, ahead of Donaire. Frankly, I?m not that impressed with Martinez. Besides, with all due respect, none of the fighters mentioned has won 25 in a row. Next to Donaire is Thailand?s Pongsaklek Wongjongkam, who needed his record of 78 wins, 3 losses and a draw to make the list. Undefeated (30 and 0 with 27 KOs) Juan Manuel Lopez is tenth. Strangely enough, on its own list of top bantamweights, The Ring places Donaire at fifth, behind Montiel, Panama?s Anselmo Moreno, Ghana?s Joseph Agbeko, and Mexico?s Abner Mares. Filipino Malcolm Tu?acao is ranked tenth. What gives?
Encyclopedic About.com?s own pound-for-pound list places Donaire eighth, after Pacquiao, Mayweather, Martinez, Marquez, Timothy Bradley, Lopez and Andre Ward. Bradley is now 27-0, has beaten undefeated fighters in his last three fights, and will meet Amir Khan in July. But Bradley has only 11 knockouts, a much lower percentage than Donaire?s. Ward, for his part, is 23-0, with 13 knockouts, so it?s still debatable whether or not his record is as good as Donaire?s.
In August of 2010, the BBC?s list already placed Donaire at fourth, but Mayweather in the top spot, over Pacquiao and Marquez. Shane Mosley was even ranked sixth.
Boxingscene.com doesn?t even list Donaire among the top 10, or even among the next five who could make the list. ProBoxing-Fans.com, places Donaire seventh, after Pacquiao, Mayweather, Martinez, Ward, Marquez and Montiel.
Even the International Busines Times (www.ibtimes.com) got in on the act yesterday. In a ridiculous take on the issue, the European newspaper ranks Vladimir Klitschko fifth, because he supposedly has the best jab among heavyweights and has had no decent opposition the last few years. Number four is Juan Manuel Marquez, because he ?has very good power and all-around skills?. Third-place belongs to middleweight Sergio ?Maravilla? Martinez for great wins over Kelly Pavlik and Paul Williams. Second is Floyd Mayweather. Because ?Pretty Boy? has been ducking Manny Pacquiao for so long, he can?t be listed first on this list.? Of course, number one is Manny Pacquiao. ?a living legend, with great power, balance and intelligence. Best of all, he shows little sign of slowing down.?
Of course, the Boxing Writers Association of America loves Pacquiao, having named him Fighter of the Year every year since 2006 (save for Mayweather in 2007). Another general information site, www.the-top-tens.com places Pacquiao on top of its list of greatest boxers of all time, displacing Muhammad Ali, who is second. Gabriel ?Flash? Elorde is ranked thirteenth. Eric ?Butterbean? Esch, the self-proclaimed ?king of four-rounders? is even 36th, ahead of Sonny Liston, Shane Mosley, Willie Pep and others. Mary Kom, a female boxer from India, is 50th, just above Jack Dempsey. Donaire is never mentioned in the mixed-bag list of 55 boxing ?greats?.
Expect most, if not all, of these lists to display significant movement after yesterday?s fight. Given that Donaire still has years in the fight game, if he?s careful, he will climb up most of those lists significantly in the next couple of years.
