It took 12 stupefying rounds, but Nonito Donaire whitewashed Omar Narvaez last night at the WaMu Theater in New York City, scoring a monotonous shutout over an opponent who turned out to be a wallflower in the ring.
With a high guard that might have doubled as barding, Narvaez succeeded in neutralizing one of the most potent offenses in boxing, but he did so at the expense of the sport, the fans, and, perhaps, of his dignity. According to Compubox, Narvaez landed roughly six punches per round, as good an indicator as any for his lack of ambition.
After a layoff on eight months, Donaire, now 27-1, did not look particularly sharp, but a world-class pro who wants to play defense is no easy mark in the ring. It is a point of professional pride for a prizefighter to last the distance under adverse circumstances, but Narvaez seemed to have made up his mind about the outcome of this fight within minutes of signing a contract to face Donaire.
Entering the ring with a 35-0-2 record and titles in two divisions, Narvaez brought a pragmatic outlook to his first fight in the United States and little else. To be fair, Narvaez looked like he stepped out of an episode of ?Big World, Little People? compared to Donaire. Only 5?3 and with arms that can be described alternately as ?stubby,? ?stunted? or ?stumpy,? Narvaez, moving up from 115 pounds, was physically overmatched and may have realized just how limited his options were.
