After round 11, defending WBC/WBO bantamweight champion Nonito ?The Filipino Flash? Donaire 27-1 (18 KO?s) of San Mateo, California poignantly stated, ?I?m bored,? referring to the fact that his opponent Omar Narvaez 35-1 (19 KO?s) of Cordoba Argentina was reluctant to engage Nonito in any way, shape, or form, as the larger and visibly more imposing champion scored a shutout by scores of 120-108 all around in his Madison Square Garden debut, handing number 1 ranked junior bantamweight challenger Narvaez his first professional defeat. With a spattering of boo?s from the anxious crowd, Narvaez was like a turtle who would remain in his shell, knowing all the while that danger was lurking nearby to make the Argentinian his next meal. Omar would briefly emerge from that shell during round?s 2 and 3 to land a couple of shots, due mainly to Donaire? relative inactivity in searching for an opening, but the challenger would soon retreat back to his refuge and stay there for the duration once ?The Filipino Flash? landed a solid left uppercut followed by a right hand in round 4 that would shake Narvaez and cause him to become an unwilling opponent, as well as a survivor in his U.S. debut. ?When I hurt him in the [fourth] round, I think he shut down,? Donaire said. ?I did everything I can. I wanted him to open up, but he wouldn?t move as long as he had that shell up.?
Outside of Nonito landing an occasional right hand to the body, and a brief five second two way exchange in round number 10, it was the champion beating the gloves of the high and tightly defended challenger who was seemingly out to prove, similar to the fictional character Rocky Balboa, that he could go the distance. Obviously not what fans paid to see, but through no fault of Donaire?, the fight was a total stinker of a mismatch. Stated Nonito after the bout, ?I have a lot of respect for him [Narvaez], but Sergio Martinez, Maidana, [other fighters from Argentina], they come to fight. He [Omar Narvaez] didn?t come here to fight today. Now I know how Pacquiao felt with Clottey. The guy just had that shell no matter what I did.? Nonito in perhaps wanting to make a statement, in this his last fight at the 118 pound limit, was given rather good advice from trainer Robert Garcia who stated, ?just keep doing what you?re doing, you know he doesn?t want to fight,? basically advising the champ not to get careless but rather maintain his punch output to the arms and gloves to win the rounds.
