IS Nonito Donaire Jr. a late bloomer? Meaning, he is blooming only just now? Not really, fellas.
Donaire has always been a great fighter. A natural, his talent is beyond question. After winning his first fight, he lost the second. That was in 2001.
If not for that defeat, Donaire would be waving today an unbeaten 32-0, win-loss card in 11 years of fighting.
That?s because his points-loss to Rosendo Sanchez in 2001 was a highly-questionable call by the judges.
To many, that fight was won by Donaire.
But that?s how it is in boxing. At times, a bum decision occurs; the most recent one was Manny Pacquiao?s defeat on points to Tim Bradley only last May.
Practically the entire world believed Pacquiao won. But the judges saw it otherwise, giving the decision to Bradley.
Well, that?s all water under the bridge now, as the clich? goes.
As in that lone loss by Donaire being a speck in history that is better forgotten than remembered.
With Donaire?s spectacular third-round knockout of Jorge Arce on Sunday at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, resurrected is the often-said thesis that Donaire is Pacquiao?s heir apparent.
Is he?
Well, as I keep saying, there will never be another Pacquiao. Exciting. Thrilling. A fun to watch when he is fighting, especially in his younger days.
While Donaire would seem to appear like orthodox in his fighting style, leaning more on the so-called eight-legged essay than anything, in Pacquiao, there is always that X factor ready to surface, if not explode, anytime he is in the ring fighting.
Pacquiao, most often than not, symbolizes the unexpected, as in Michael Jordan suddenly either making a pull-up jumper in your face, or cutting the lane despite heavy traffic for an impossible acrobatic lay-up.
However, even if Donaire doesn?t have that showbiz flair, he is now also a certified draw at the tills, given the explosiveness of his fists and his science-laden shots that has knocked out 20 of his previous 31 victims. His last two fights alone, coming by way of knockout, were genuine blockbusters.
Make way for the star of the future.
