So used to playing the role of Gulliver, Nonito ?The Filipino Flash? Donaire Jr. will step into the shoes of a Lilliputian Sunday, when he meets South African Jeffrey ?Mongoose? Mathebula in California for the combined World Boxing Organization (WBO) and International Boxing Federation (IBF) super bantamweight (122 pounds) championship.
At 5?10,? Mathebula is four inches taller than Donaire. The South African IBF champion also has a wingspan that is long enough to plug the ozone layer. WBO champ Donaire, who has been used to whipping smaller guys in previous reigns as flyweight (112 pounds) and bantamweight (118 pounds) king, acknowledges that a change of tactic is in order when he takes on his tallest adversary to date.
In his previous ring outings, Donaire ran rings around his foes and dictated the tempo with a ramrod left jab. For Mathebula, Donaire will be on the other side of the rainbow. Mathebula owns an educated left jab and a clubbing right hand that has put to sleep 14 opponents. Donaire will have to move his head and shoulders well to get under Mathebula?s jab and work his way inside.
Donaire will have to be the aggressor in the fight as he cannot allow himself to be mesmerized by Mathebula?s jab. ?I don?t think that I?ve ever fought a guy where I had to be the aggressor coming forward throughout the whole fight, but this may be the first time, and I may have to go the distance,? Donaire told the website RingTV.com. ?I?ve always been the counter-puncher or the boxer and backpedaled and used my legs. So this is going to be an interesting fight. It?s a territory where I?ve never been before.?
A native of Malamulele, Limpopo, South Africa, Mathebula is making his first ring appearance in the United States. The 33-year-old Mathebula has fought 30 of 31 paid contests in South Africa, his lone fight in foreign soil taking place in April 2009, when he dropped a controversial split-decision to then World Boxing Association (WBA) and IBF super bantam champ Celestino Caballero in Panama.
Mathebula became a world champion in March, when he eked out a split-decision victory over Takalani Ndlovu for the IBF super bantam crown before a hometown crowd in Brakpan, South Africa.
To prepare for Donaire, Mathebula (26-3, 2 draws, 14 knockouts) has been working closely with countryman Moruti Mthalane, the same guy who was stopped in six rounds by Donaire in 2008. Mthalane has been receiving pointers from Mthalane which he hopes to put to good use against Donaire.
For the record, Mathebula is taking on his second Filipino opponent in Donaire. In June 2006, 22-year-old Aaron Melgarejo of Bi?an, Laguna, went the full 12 rounds with Mathebula before losing on points in a battle for the WBC International featherweight (126 pounds) crown. If Melgarejo was able to put up a stand, look for Donaire to inflict more damage.
Mathebula?s elongated jab is far from perfect as there are occasions when he tends to get lazy with it. Mathebula also tends to pull back his right hand way too far before throwing it, exposing his jaw to Donaire?s hooks and uppercuts.
Mathebula has never faced an opponent as agile and versatile as Donaire. The 12-round match should be a chess match, with Donaire remaining the favorite to prevail. The Mathebula fight is the first of a three-fight master plan for Donaire to emerge as the unified ruler of the 122-pound division.
Should he prevail over Mathebula, Donaire is also eyeing WBA champion Guillermo Rigondeaux of Cuba and WBC titlist Abner Mares of Mexico.
