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Philippines, 29 Jan 2026 |
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A Boxing Blog: Nonito Donaire's Perfect Future Opponent By Butch Romero PhilBoxing.com Sun, 08 Jul 2012  First off, let's congratulate Nonito Donaire for unifying the WBO and IBF Super Bantamweight titles. He deserves all the praise that's due to him. (So yeah! Way to go champ!) Now for an observation, and if I may, some ideal opponents for his next bouts. It has become perfectly clear now what we can expect from Donaire after viewing him in his last few fights, including this last one against Jeffrey Mathebula. What he has: * Hand speed, and one-punch knockout power, with emphasis on his left hook What he isn't: * A volume puncher What he is, mostly: * A counter puncher and head-hunter What he doesn't have: * A dependable body attack What he has: * Wonderful footwork, quick reflexes, sound defense and a solid chin What he isn't: * A brawler. A guy who would take too many risks (take 5 to give 1) to make it exciting The KO power has lead to 2 Knockouts of the Year, but it also has made his opponents (especially after tasting it earlier in a fight) more wary, and they tend to get defensive as the rounds wear on. In Mathebula's case, he was aggressive until he got knocked down. Naturally, if that happened earlier in the round, Nonito would have pounced on him and it would have been over. But it happened at the end. That was a huge left that he got up from though, so you have to give Mathebula credit for making it back. But after the 4th? He pretty much went on survival mode from thereon out (read: did not try to win). Same thing happened with Omar Narvaez after he got rocked in an earlier round. Again, Nonito isn't a brawler. He's not going to just wade in there and throw a bunch of punches. It's just not his style. Against defensive or careful fighters like Mathebula, Narvaez and Wilfredo Vazquez Jr, there will most likely be spots where the activity drops and starts to get boring. Yes, the boo birds came out again in this one. And that's too bad. It's hard to make everyone appreciate what Nonito truly is --- a smart, calculating fighter that punches like a mule. He's just economical with what he throws, that's all. So what's next for Donaire? I think he needs to be put in an entertaining fight. The perfect foil for him? A come forward fighter. Someone who would leave it all on the line to get the W. A badass with a sturdy set of whiskers, and who can withstand Nonito's jackhammer lefts without getting dismayed. So for now, perhaps we should say "next time" to Guillermo Rigondeaux, and "can I get a rain check?" to Anselmo Moreno. A match against Toshiaki Nishioka seems intriguing. He's a highly rated champ at 122, and has several quality wins versus solid opponents (Jhonny Gonzalez and Rafael Marquez to name a few), so he's one to consider. But really, right now only two fighters come to mind who can make for an action fight. Jorge Arce and Abner Mares. After dispatching Fernando Montiel, The Filipino Flash has finally been getting mainstream credit for all the effort he's put forth, and the skills he brings in the ring. Against Mathebula, Donaire has proved again that he's a top pound-for-pound fighter. Top Rank is also paying him like one, evidenced by his $750,000 purse. Now, I hope Arum and co. can put someone in front of him who will give him an actual fight. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Butch Romero.  |
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