The upcoming November 7th bantamweight title unification bout between undefeated Naoya ‘The Monster’ Inoue (18-0, 16 KOs) and Nonito ‘Filipino Flash’ Donaire (40-5, 26 KOs) is going to be a one sided beat down.
Donaire who is 36 years old, holds the WBA bantamweight title, and he won it in a fluke victory when the rightful champion Ryan Burnett suffered a freak back injury in the fourth round and could no longer continue.
Burnett was winning the fight and would have likely stopped Donaire if it continued on. Even Donaire didn’t like the way he won that title because it was like a gimme title just handed to him.
The 26-year-old Naoya Inoue is undefeated with 16 of his 18 wins coming by way of knockout. The Japanese IBF bantamweight champion is one of the most devastating knockout artists in boxing when he touches you every punch hurts.
The only chance Donaire has in this fight with Inoue is to land a lucky left hook on the younger stronger Japanese monster.
You have to analyze this fight rationally. You put a younger knockout artist versus an old long in the tooth shot fighter, who do you think will win?
Common sense suggests that the older opponent is going to lose to the younger one.
Nonito is a one dimensional fighter who relies on his left hook. Ever since Guillermo Rigondeaux exposed him way back in 2013, he has never been that same scary hyped up knockout artist HBO made him out to be.
Inoue is a serious puncher, when he hits you its like he took your soul, no wonder they call him ‘The Monster’ because he has that scary type of power.
Donaire was a hyped up puncher who needed a size advantage to be a devastating puncher but couldn’t KO guys his own size when he moved up to featherweight.
I see Nonito trying to play it safe and keep his distance but Inoue will just walk him down and the moment he lands punches on Nonito’s body it will change the entire fight. Nonito will feel every ounce of it and he will think about his future and ask himself why did I take this fight?
That is the type of power Inoue has, he will make fighters question themselves during the fight after they taste his punch.
Donaire is the accidental champion. He shouldn’t even be in the World Boxing Super Series Bantamweight Final, he won the WBA title by a fluke. He was lucky that Zolani Tete got injured before their semi-final match and was forced to pull out last minute and replaced with Stephon Young who Doniare knocked out in six.
Donaire is the luckiest guy in the tournament. He avoided a beat down by Zolani Tete and was given an easy replacement opponent and is now in the finals. The only way he can win really is by lucky punch or another fluke, like Inoue twisting his ankle and not being able to continue.
My prediction for this fight is Naoya Inoue by stoppage in round 7 – either a vicious knockout in the seventh round or Nonito quitting before he gets knocked cold.
I love the sweet science of boxing and enjoy sharing my opinion on it. Boricua!