When you are a young kid and with the future ahead of you, you dream about a lot of possibilities. In the future, you will be a disease curing doctor, a problem solving President, a member of the first team from your country to win the Association Football World Cup, an astronaut, a Hollywood star, a platinum CD selling artist or a national teacher of the year candidate. You go through a process and then you make it or you don?t. The question after you make it, after you get that title that says you are a Doctor or a Champion or after you get that contract to become an entertainment business legend, is: What do you do with your life from that point where you reach your primary goal?
Boxing?s cases of people who have gone down the right or wrong lane after winning the title are also well documented. George Foreman became a reverend and a salesman after winning the Heavyweight Title, but Mike Tyson became king of irreverent behavior after achieving the same feat. Likewise, Carlos Baldomir has remained a humble character but the guy he conquered for the world Welterweight Championship, Zab Judah, will always be an enigma of a role to whichever actor plays him in a future.
What road does a guy who has just beaten Vic Darchinyan and met Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo at her palace in Manila take? That?s exactly what Filipino boxer Nonito Donaire has done so far, but winning titles and meeting Presidents does not mean that, you will keep that title for long or you will become an example in society with the lofty position and opportunity you have earned to do so.
Donaire seems to be a good boxer, and he was dominating the until then undefeated Champion Darchinyan but before we get too excited about him, however, let?s do a little boxing history research, both past and current: In 1984, Johnny ?Bump City? Bumphus was all the talk from Madison Avenue to Santa Monica Boulevard. He was highly touted as the successor to Aaron Pryor?s legacy as WBA Junior Welterweight Champion.
Likewise, Tim Witherspoon was being seen as Larry Holmes? Superboy to Holmes? Superman after Holmes abdicated the WBC Heavyweight Title. So Bumphus hit the floor and went fifteen full rounds with Argentine Lorenzo Garcia before annexing the WBA 140 pounds strap across his waist. At least he won, right? So Witherspoon produced one of the biggest stinkers in boxing?s Heavyweight Championship history when he dominated Greg Page. At least he was dominating enough to look like he would be a longtime champion, right? Well, Bumphus and Witherspoon lost their title in their first defenses to Gene Hatcher and Pinklon Thomas, respectively, two fighters who did not last long at the helm of their divisions either, each losing the title in their second title defenses.
More recently, we have Antonio Tarver, who gave a man, Roy Jones, JR., a boxer that whether we like it or not became one of the great ones of the 1990?s, a great fight and then a starching in their rematch. Tarver, of course, lost his title to Bernard Hopkins, who, while unable to knock Tarver out, did dish Tarver a starching like the ones Tarver gave their common nemesis, Jones JR., in fights two and three of their rivalry. The only fight Tarver has made since was a colorless, 12 round decision win over Elvir Muriqi.
Donaire?s record, apart from Vic Darchinyan and a few precious others, has also been filled by guys who may at best be the boxing kings of their neighborhoods or small countries, judging by their abysmal records. As for the future, the Flyweight division is not really made up of a lineup of household names. You?d have to have someone make you a wall menu like the ones on Burger King with these guys? names just so that you know they exist.
There are, however, a number of compelling bouts Donaire could take, such as one against Puerto Rican Ivan Calderon or the man Calderon succeeded recently in Mexican Hugo Cazares. There is also, of course, Koki Kameda, who has been talked about in boxing?s deepest circles for a while now, and Pongsaklek Wonjongkam, as well as Daisuke Naito. These guys are good?very good, too good to be ignored by Donaire. And if you look at the super flyweight division, the one that Donaire is right under, there are people like AJ Banal, Jose Navarro, the still dangerous Alexander Munoz and Cristian Mijares sitting there, and eager to take on some small flyweight guys and help them grow along.
With 1 defeat already in 19 bouts, Donaire is beatable and may fall into those guys who like Bumphus and Witherspoon, lose focus after winning the title and then lose the title right away. But he can also become a good champion and actually open a road to Canastota, New York, where the International Boxing Hall of Fame would be awaiting him.
This is something Donaire needs to know: Usually, the tip of the iceberg, when you reach your ultimate goal, is the beginning of the way down. It can be a long and easy ride, or it can be a quick and scarring one. But in order for him to find out, he will need to keep on walking now that he has reached the top of the mountain, and by that I mean fight Calderon, Cazares, Kameda and all the other guys until he finally does lose or decides he has dominated enough he can just retire with a legacy as an unyielding champion, like Rocky Marciano and Carlos Monzon, among others, have been able to do.
Only time will tell whether Donaire will go all the way and not be just a flash in the pan as so many others have been.
