Three-division champion and current junior featherweight titlist Nonito Donaire of the Philippines hopes to put the finishing touches on an outstanding 2012 with another defense of his belt in a fight that is being considered just a formality against former four-division champ Jorge Arce of Mexico.
The fight may seem an easy one for Donaire, but he must be very careful not to overlook Arce, who has unrivaled heart and a dangerous style. “Travieso” likes to slug it out and put pressure on his opponents, a tactic that has always made Donaire uncomfortable.
Here are five keys for Donaire against Arce:
Hit to open Just as Donaire did against Japan’s Toshiaki Nishioka in his most recent fight, he should be patient when looking for a way to finish the fight. Arce will surely raise his hands higher than usual and keep his elbows tucked to keep Donaire from landing his left hand. Donaire should open him up with lateral hooks to the midsection, then finish him on the inside when the right time comes. As usual in this type of offense, the knockout will present itself almost out of the blue.
He’s got the power Donaire has routinely faced lighter opponents, and Arce is yet another of them. Donaire should seize his more slender figure and set the pace of the fight from the center of the ring, throwing multiple combinations of power punches. Arce won’t be able to bear Donaire’s power. On fight night, Arce figures to weigh around 120 pounds, compared to Donaire’s 135, even though the fight will officially be contested at 122.
Cool under pressure Donaire can be temperamental, losing his cool easily at any provocation, and this affects his focus. It happened against Vazquez, who bad-mouthed him before the fight and managed to get in his head. When that happens, Donaire gets off his game and lacks creativity. Against a slugger like Arce, he can’t make that mistake. Pacquiao-Marquez IV demonstrated that one good punch can be enough to bring down a favored fighter.
Be careful what you wish for Donaire always fights the same way: He drops his left, uses his right to confuse his foes, zigzags around and waits for a mistake to connect with a knockout punch. He regularly looks for that big, one-punch finish, and against an allegedly weaker opponent it again figures to be his strategy. But that could also be a mistake. Arce has been dragged into some tough situations and surprised before. That’s why Donaire won’t be able to relax: His opponent is far more dangerous than he is being given credit for.
Keep trouble at bay Knockout power aside, Donaire has been mistake-prone on defense when his opponents manage to close the gap. Vazquez vexed him when he carried the fight into phone booth territory, and Arce is a fighter who thrives in just such circumstances — inside, at short distance and amid lots of exchanges. Donaire must avoid this scenario and control the fight at distance with a steady jab and double combinations.
