By Lester Salvador
Everyone is hyping up this bantamweight “Filipino Flash” Nonito Donaire like he is the next Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather Jr.
This is what I cannot stand with the media and fairweather boxing fans, they like to ride bandwagons.
Nonito Donaire beat Fernando Montiel with a good one punch KO that made news highlights, but what is his other claim to fame? Knocking out Vic Darchinyan years ago and never giving Vic a rematch? He hasn’t done anything yet to deserve this attention, and until he proves himself to be great with more challenges, then, you can heap praise, but let him clean out 118 and 122 first before throwing him in with featherweights like Gamboa and Lopez.
Even if Donaire goes to 122, I strongly favor the Puerto Rican WBO champ Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. and the Cuban gold medalist Guillermo Rigondeaux over him.
But what bothers me most are the people saying Nonito can beat up the powerful Puerto Rican superstar and WBO champion, Juan Manuel Lopez, the most proven of all the younger boxers.
Juan Manuel Lopez is the Filipino assassin. He already destroyed two Filipino fighters when he beat Filipino boxing veteran Gerry Penalosa and the guy people were saying fights like Manny Pacquiao, Bernabe Concepcion, Juan Ma knocked out Concepcion in round two and the Filipino was never the same again. And don’t forget Lopez beating up Mexican boxing legend Rafael Marquez forcing him to quit on his stool. Lopez proved he is the real deal and not a hype job.
This is what featherweight champion Juan Ma Lopez told BoxingScene when the topic of Donaire came up:
“I think that at 118, he should dominate without any problems and perhaps he can do the same at 122-pounds, but at 126 I think right now it’s a little too much for him. Not only against me but against (Yuriorkis) Gamboa and against Orlando Salido,”
“So far he’s never felt a blow from a man at 126-pounds. It is not the same. (Donaire) is not a fight that I would dismiss. It would be a good fight, but at the right time. Right now I think he’s not ready (to be at featherweight).
I agree with Juan Manuel Lopez when he warned Nonito Donaire to stay away from featherweight division because he never felt the punch of guys that big before.
I feel Juan Ma will knock out Nonito Donaire worse than he did Bernabe Concepcion, he might not knock him out in the second round because Donaire is a runner and he can move, but I believe Juan Ma’s size and power will wear Nonito down and he can KO Nonito in the later rounds.
Just look at how Rafael Marquez couldn’t knock down Lopez and Rafael was considered one of the hardest punchers at 118 pounds but when he went up in weight he couldn’t dominate Lopez. Combine that with Marquez being the overall better counter puncher and boxer than Donaire, I just don’t see the outcome of a Donaire vs. Lopez fight being in Nonito’s favor.
If Nonito knows what is best for him, he should stay far away from the Puerto Rican bomber and just stay at 118 and 122 because he won’t be able to hang with the big boys, he is not Manny Pacquiao or Roberto Duran, he is too skinny to climb up in weight.
Another thing that bothers me are the Ring Magazine pound for pound rankings. I cannot believe Ring Magazine has Manny Pacquiao above Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Sergio Martinez, when Manny Pacquiao hasn’t fought a credible opponent in years and now they put Nonito Donaire as number 3 on their pound for pound list. (Click Here to View the Pound for Pound Rankings)
Donaire hasn’t done anything to warrant him surpassing Sergio Martinez, Juan Manuel Marquez and Juan Manuel Lopez on the pound for pound list, this goes to show you how the media hype works, they see how famous Manny Pacquiao is and want to build another star from the Philippines.
Got an Opinion? Submit Your Articles and Press Releases to be posted on NowBoxing.com
*Please refrain from leaving any Racist, Profane or Derogatory comments*
I love the sweet science of boxing and enjoy sharing my opinion on it. Boricua!