Last fall, after an aborted attempt to leave promoter Top Rank, Nonito Donaire unveiled an ambitious game plan.
Before his Oct. 22 bantamweight title fight in New York against Argentina?s Omar Narvaez, “The Filipino Flash” forecast a move up to 122 pounds to face the best boxers in that weight class.
“I want the best out there and that?s one thing [Top Rank is] going to deliver, the best out there,” Donaire said. “They?re starting off after this fight with the winner of Marquez-Nishioka.”
Donaire (28-1, 18 KOs) still hasn?t fought Toshiaki Nishioka (39-4-3, 24 KOs), a Japanese southpaw who retained his WBC championship by out-pointing Mexico?s Rafael Marquez (41-7, 37 KOs) on Oct. 1 in Las Vegas. Top Rank?s careful cultivation of Donaire?s career over the past year defies Donaire?s status as a consensus top-10, pound-for-pound fighter, and has damaged Donaire?s reputation because he hasn?t taken tougher fights.
The talented four-division champion from San Leandro, Calif., is scheduled to oppose South Africa?s Jeffrey Mathebula (26-3-2, 14 KOs) in an HBO main event Saturday night in Carson, Calif. The Mathebula bout will be Donaire?s third straight against a B-level opponent since his spectacular second-round knockout of Mexico?s Fernando Montiel (48-4-2, 37 KOs) in February 2011.
Mathebula defeated fellow South African Takalani Ndlovu (33-7, 18 KOs) by split decision to win the IBF?s 122-pound championship in his last fight, but he barely is considered a top-10 fighter in their division. Beating Mathebula won?t enhance Donaire?s reputation any more than either of his last two wins.
Puerto Rico?s Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. (21-2-1, 18 KOs), whom Donaire defeated rather easily Feb. 4 in San Antonio, is a solid contender, but not one of the top five fighters in their division. Narvaez (36-1-2, 19 KOs) was unbeaten before Donaire shut him out in their 12-rounder, but the small southpaw was a 115-pound champion when he moved up to 118 pounds to challenge Donaire.
Narvaez fought scared and their dreadfully dull glorified sparring session should?ve encouraged Donaire to seek greater challenges at 122 pounds. It?s a top-heavy division that includes Nishioka, American Abner Mares (24-0-1, 13 KOs) and rising Cuban star Guillermo Rigondeaux (10-0, eight KOs), who is much more advanced than his record suggests.
The sooner Donaire faces one of those three fighters, the better.
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