When WBO junior featherweight titleholder Nonito Donaire enters the ring for Saturday night’s HBO-televised unification bout with IBF beltholder Jeffrey Mathebula, even he knows that he’ll be facing a difficult opponent.
“Well, he’s very tall,” said Donaire of Mathebula (26-3-2, 14 knockouts). “He’s 5-10 [Donaire is 5-foot-5 1/2] and he’s IBF champion. He knows how to box and he knows how to use his reach.”
“But I can’t say for certain what type of fight we’ll be fighting, because I’ve never fought a guy this tall or with this much range. So it will be interesting. I’m anxious to see what sort of fight that he’ll try to make it.”
A three-division beltholder, Donaire (28-1, 18 KOs) has his sights set beyond Mathebula on high-profile opponents such as Toshiaki Nishioka (39-4-3, 24 KOs), WBA titleholder Guillermo Rigondeaux (10-0, 8 KOs), WBC beltholder Abner Mares (24-0-1, 13 KOs) and perhaps four-division titlewinner Jorge Arce (60-6-2, 46 KOs).
But all of that could go awry if he loses to Mathebula, whom Donaire’s promoter, Top Rank CEO Bob Arum, considers to be no walkover.
“This is a very tough fight,” said Arum. “Mathebula is a very good boxer, he’s very, very tall, and he’s got a lot of experience and a tremendous amateur background.”
“As a professional, he’s very hard to hurt, so this is a tough, tough, very difficult fight for Donaire, who is a head shorter than Mathebula.”
But Norm Frauenheim, www.15rounds.com offers a different take:
“Promoter Bob Arum talks about Mathebula?s warrior roots, his Zulu ancestry. Translation: Nobody knows much about the South African. That might be the biggest advantage for the 122-pound South African, who doesn?t appear to have the power or record to stop Donaire?s design on multiple titles.”
Mathebula won a rematch over Takalani Ndlovu in March to win his current title, and also proved himself in a disputed split-decision loss to current WBA featherweight Celestino Caballero in April of 2009.
Will Mathebula be able to use his physical advantages to overcome the odds-on favorite and become the first South African to unify world titles? Ringtv.com polled 17 boxing insiders to get their predictions:
Steve Carp, Las Vegas Review Journal
Nonito Donaire W 12 Jeffrey Mathebula: Nonito Donaire is very determined to show he is one of the sport’s true elite fighters and I look for him to fight an intelligent, mistake-free fight and control the action from start to finish against Jeffrey Mathebula.
Record: 1-1
Corey Erdman, RingTV.com
Jeffrey Mathebula SD 12 Nonito Donaire: Nonito Donaire is very fond of opponents who blindly move forward toward him. Jeffrey Mathebula has no interest in doing that.
At times, Donaire has been downright whiny about fighters who don’t move at him, considering his disinterest in fighting Guillermo Rigondeaux. Mathebula couldn’t care less about a boring fight.
He moves his head and his upper body constantly, and he throws punches at odd times. He may engage Donaire.
But not long enough to get caught with something crazy. I think he wins a “controversial” split decision that has a lot to do with avoiding enough of Donaire’s punches.
Record: 5-1
Norm Frauenheim, www.15rounds.com
Nonito Donaire TKO 6 Jeffrey Mathebula: The tale of the tape says Jeffrey Mathebula taller than Donaire. Promoter Bob Arum talks about Mathebula?s warrior roots, his Zulu ancestry.
Translation: Nobody knows much about the South African. That might be the biggest advantage for the 122-pound South African, who doesn?t appear to have the power or record to stop Donaire?s design on multiple titles.
Despite his age, 33, he also doesn?t have enough world-class mileage. His bout against Donaire in Carson, Calif., is his first in the U.S.
He is 0-1 away from home with a loss in 2009 to Celestine Caballero in Panama. That road record is headed to 0-2.
Record: 9-4
Robert Guerrero, five-belt, three-division titlewinner
Nonito Donaire UD 12 Jeffrey Mathebula: Nonito Donaire is too skilled for Jeffrey Mathebula. He will outclass him and win by a wide unanimous decision.
Record: 7-5
Keith Idec, The Record/BoxingScene.com
Nonito Donaire UD 12 Jeffrey Mathebula: I’m picking Nonito Donaire over Jeffrey Mathebula by unanimous decision. Mathebula’s height and reach advantages should at times make it difficult for Donaire to do damage inside.
But Donaire’s speed and superior skills should help him out-point an opponent whose average power won’t deter Donaire from continually coming after him.
Record: 5-4
Steve Kim, Maxboxing.com
Nonito Donaire KO 9 Jeffrey Mathebula: Nonito Donaire is a stronger, more explosive fighter. I think eventually he wears down Jeffrey Mathebula in the late rounds. Donaire in nine.
Record: 10-2
Paulie Malignaggi, WBA welterweight titleholder, former IBF junior welterweight beltholder
Nonito Donaire KO 8 Jeffrey Mathebula: I like Nonito Donaire. Hes a complete fighter who is hungry and has a lot loftier goals than Jeffrey Mathebula. Donaire by knockout in the eighth round.
Record: 8-4
Ryan Maquinana, CSNBAYAREA/BoxingScene.com
Nonito Donaire TKO9 Jeffrey Mathebula: Jeffrey Mathebula enjoys almost a five-inch height advantage and puts his punches together well, but I think Nonito Donaire is on another level in terms of skill.
Donaire has the arsenal to employ his superior speed and find his way around the South African’s longer reach to pick a solid titleholder like Mathebula apart.
Record: 8-4
Rich Marotta, Top Rank Live
Nonito Donaire W 12 Jeffrey Mathebula: Nonito Donaire is just too much the overall package.
Record: 0-1
Rick Reeno, Editor BoxingScene.com
Nonito Donaire W 12 Jeffrey Mathebula: Nonito Donaire is going to have his fair share of problems with Jeffrey Mathebula. If he doesn’t have a good game plan in store, an upset is not out of the question.
Donaire has something to prove after his win over Vazquez left something to be desired. I expect Donaire to win a close twelve-round decision.
Record: 2-1
Chris Robinson, The Examiner.com/BoxingScene.com
Nonito Donaire UD 12 Jeffrey Mathebula: I see Nonito Donaire having a little bit of difficulty with Jeffrey Mathebula early. But eventually settling in and controlling the fight with his speed and counters. I see Mathebula lasting the distance. Donaire unanimous decision.
Record: 5-2
Cliff Rold, BoxingScene.com
Jeffrey Mathebula W 12 Nonito Donaire: Jeffrey Mathebula will have to be able to handle the early offense, and that’s always the biggest risk with Nonito Donaire. His speed and pop can catch anyone off guard. Factor in the sometimes pushing right of Mathebula, and he looks like a counter-left victim waiting to happen.
The thinking here is excellent trainer Nick Durandt will have Mathebula as focused as he has ever been, he avoids the big early power shots…and then we get into what happens in a long fight? Mathebula is at least a few inches taller, has longer arms, and is very quick in combination.
He’s also a heavy volume puncher with good head and upper body movement who can fight off the back or front foot. He’s been at 122 for his whole career, hasn’t been stopped since 2003, and probably should have gotten the nod in two debatable decision losses to Celestino Caballero and Takalani Ndlovu.
At 33, he has a chance to validate his whole career against a fighter who sometimes looks lost when he doesn’t get guys out of there. The pick here is the man who can improvise better, and that’s Mathebula with a strong second half in the bout.
Record: 9-4
Michael Rosenthal, Editor of THE RING
Nonito Donaire KO 9 Jeffrey Mathebula: Jeffrey Mathebula is a serious challenge for Nonito Donaire. I’m most impressed that he went to Celestino Caballero’s native Panama and lost a split decision.
Mathebula is both skillful and tough, although he doesn’t appear to have great power. That could be his undoing. Donaire also is skillful but has quickness and power that Mathebula hasn’t seen.
Plus, the South African will be fighting outside his native country for only the second time. That’s always a challenge. Donaire will break down Mathebula and stop him in the ninth round.
Record: 9-2
Joseph Santoliquito/Ring Magazine/RingTV.com/CBS Sports
Nonito Donaire W 12 Jeffrey Mathebula: I think Nonito Donaire has a few things to prove, and he’s going to go all-out to show why he’s among the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world today. I like Donaire by decision over Jeffrey Mathebula.
Record: 3-1
John Scully, trainer of RING and WBC lightheavyweight champion Chad Dawson
Nonito Donaire W 12 Jeffrey Mathebula: I wIll go with Nonito Donaire on a very tough but unanimous 12-round decision over Jeffrey Mathebula.
Record: 1-1
Ryan Songalia, RingTV.com
Nonito Donaire KO 7 Jeffrey Mathebula: I have Nonito Donaire by knockout in seven. Donaire’s power wasn’t fully there for the Miguel Vazquez fight as it was at 118. But I think that having time to acclimate to the new division will benefit him greatly.
I think that he will be able to get the job done now against Jeffrey Mathebula. Donaire is among the hardest hitting in the sport.
Record: 10-3
Bob Velin, USA Today
Nonito Donaire KO 5 Jeffrey Mathebula: Nonito Donaire dominates Jeffrey Mathebula from the start, wins by fifth round technical knockout.
Record: 2-2
