After his second world title defense on Sunday, Nonito Donaire has remained stuck in the world boxing bus depot waiting for a trip to full stardom.
It?s odd because his victory over Moruti Mthalane marked Donaire?s fourth straight victory by knockout in a two-year span.
This brought his win-loss record to 20-1, with 13 knockouts.
The truth, though, is that the sixth-round stoppage of the mandatory challenger from South Africa had taken Donaire, known as the Filipino Flash, nowhere near where full-fledged boxing stars are transfixed.
Reason: Donaire, who turns 26 this month, was able to display only half of his heavily advertised arsenal in disposing of his game but shorter foe.
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?Maraming kulang, he has no combinations, paisa-isa lang,? observed two-time national road cycling champ Jess Garcia, who said it must be time for the 5-foot-7 Donaire to leave the flyweight division.
Partly to blame was an injured left-hand finger that visibly reduced Donaire?s firepower starting the third round.
?That?s true, he had obviously injured his hand, but on the whole, his timing was a little off,? noted lawyer-sportsman Rudy Salud.
Salud was all praise, though, for the poise and intelligence displayed by Donaire after the on-fight injury.
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It?s quite pleasing that Donaire was the first to admit he had been rendered rusty by his long inactivity.
His last fight prior to his second title defense on Sunday was on Dec. 7, 2007 yet.
Donaire claimed he did not feel tired, but there were contentions he was huffing, breathing heavily by the fifth round.
OK, he visibly had the old sting, but Donaire admitted that he had been deficient in sparring as there were not enough full-size partners willing to work with him.
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Anyway, there was this mystifying sight of the beaten African weeping on the shoulder of his chief handler following the stoppage.
Of course, it was not due to pain.
Moruti, who had lost only once before Sunday, must?ve felt that Donaire was fading and could?ve been open for an upset in succeeding rounds.
Donaire himself said that last Sunday?s outing could be his last as a flyweight because he had been having a hard time trimming down to 112 pounds.
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This only means that Donaire may no longer be able to fully confirm his reign in the flyweight division.
You see, the great Flash Elorde said that winning a world crown is nothing more than a baptism.
A champion must also be confirmed through at least a couple of great title defenses, Da Flash loved to preach.
Curiously, two popular super flyweights, Jorge Arce and Vic Darchinyan, scored resounding KO wins on the same day Donaire made the second defense of his crown.
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Arce, a Mexican, did it in the undercard to the Donaire title bout with a sensational stoppage of former world flyweight titlist Isidro Garcia, also a Mexican.
Out in Carson City, Darchinyan? stopped by Donaire in July 2007? stunned experts by keeping his promise with a devastation of the highly favored Christian Mijares, a conqueror of Arce.
All told, the call of the hour is for Donaire to clash with the colorful if boisterous Arce?if he?s to confirm his stardom.
Donaire might have been stuck in the bus depot after last Sunday?s inconclusive victory, but he sure knows which trip to take next.
