LOS ANGELES ? In the eyes of Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum, what Nonito Donaire showed Saturday night against Jorge Arce in Houston proves that he is a cinch to become 2012?s top performer.
?Fighter of the Year,? said Arum, noting how Donaire easily got the job done against the seasoned Mexican before a stunned crowd at the Toyota Center.
Donaire flattened Arce with a lethal left hook in the third canto to retain his World Boxing Organization super-bantamweight crown and the 30-year-old Filipino-American is aiming to add more big names to his resume.
On Donaire?s radar screen are Guillermo Rigondeaux, the World Boxing Association titleholder in the 122-lb category and Abner Mares, the World Boxing Council titlist.
Arum said that he will give Donaire another date for a fight sometime in March and Rigondeaux is tops in his priority.
Donaire started the year with a bang, easily beating Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. of Puerto Rico before battering Jeffrey Mathebula of South Africa and disposing of Toshiaki Nishioka of Japan.
If Donaire?s string of victories is not enough to propel him to the top, then Arum doesn?t know what will.
Donaire?s demolition of Arce should boost his standing in the mythical pound-for-pound ratings, making him the solid candidate to win the coveted award that is being handed out by numerous publications, media outlets, and most importantly the Boxing Writers Association of America.
Donaire?s fiercest rival for the recognition will be Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico, who electrified the boxing scene with a sixth-round knockout of Manny Pacquiao last Dec. 8 in Las Vegas.
Marquez only fought twice this year, the first against Sergey Fedchencko in April, but his devastation of Pacquiao alone makes him a prime choice alongside Donaire.
