Still on the mend after sustaining a hand injury in his last fight, World Boxing Organization (WBO) super bantamweight (122 pounds) champion Nonito ?The Filipino Flash? Donaire Jr. could have settled for a doughnut-knitted foe for his next ring outing. After looking pedestrian in a 12-round decision win over Puerto Rican Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. in February, there?s nothing like a sacrificial lamb to make Donaire look invincible again.
Top Rank Promotions initially tossed the names Cristian Mijares and Roberto Marroquin. Mijares, a 30-year-old native of Durango, Mexico, is a former bantamweight (118 pounds) and super flyweight (115 pounds) titlist who has arguably seen better days. Dallas native Marroquin, 21-1, 14 knockouts, is a relative newcomer who is still learning the ropes.
Asked to choose between a faded ex-champion and an untested tyro, Donaire picked neither and instead opted for a counterpart champion. On July 8 (Manila time), at the Home Depot Center, Carson, California, Donaire will figure in a unification bout with International Boxing Federation (IBF) super bantamweight champion Jeffrey Mathebula of South Africa.
Donaire, 28-1 with 18 knockouts, reportedly wanted an opponent who could offer more than a pulse. He may get just that and more in Mathebula.
Nicknamed ?Mongoose,? the 32-year-old Mathebula took up boxing as a way out of poverty in Malamulele, South Africa. He grew up idolizing Cassius Baloyi, a former IBF super featherweight champion who was also born in Malamulele. Mathebula enjoyed a sterling amateur career that was capped by an appearance in the 2000 Sydney Olympics as a featherweight.
Mathebula turned pro in February 2001 and went unbeaten in his first fourteen fights before being stopped in six rounds by Thomas Mashaba in 2003. He rebounded by winning nine of his next 10 fights (the lone blot being a draw with former IBF super featherweight king Malcolm Klassen in September 2004) en route to a shot at then IBF and World Boxing Association (WBA) super bantamweight champion Celestino Caballero of Panama. Fighting in Caballero?s home turf, Mathebula stood his ground and lost a disputed split decision.
Unperturbed, Mathebula worked his way back to title contention. On March 24, he finally realized his dream of becoming a world champion when he defeated Takalani Ndlovu for the IBF super bantamweight diadem. In a high-octane slugfest, Mathebula bucked a welt under his right eye to prevail by split-decision.
At 5?10,? Mathebula is three inches taller than Donaire. Unlike Donaire?s previous foes, Mathebula offers a bigger built. The South African is a boxer-puncher who also has a crisp, educated left jab. Donaire has not fought a South African since November 2008, when he stopped Moruti Mthalane in six bloody rounds for the IBF flyweight strap. Reports have it that Mathebula is already receiving inputs from Mthalane on how to handle Donaire. Mathebula, 26-3, 14 knockouts, always comes in shape and is all pumped up for his first ring appearance in the United States.
Donaire, 29, is looking to regain the form that catapulted him to the pound-for-pound rankings. In February 2011, Donaire annihilated Mexican Fernando Montiel in two rounds in a bantamweight title showdown that earned the Filipino a lot of media ink. Donaire looked sensational against Montiel, but contractual issues with Top Rank and inactivity slowed down his momentum. Donaire has looked ordinary in his last two fights, figuring in a 12-round waltz with Omar Narvaez and injuring his hand in a decision win over Vazquez.
According to manager Cameron Dunkin, it was Donaire who asked for Mathebula. In these days when a champion prefers to keep his career warm by taking on trialhorses, Donaire challenging a fellow champion to a unification showdown is like a breath of fresh air in a polluted environment. One can only hope that Donaire has started a trend that will rub on to other incumbent champions.
