Nonito Donaire

Move aside and let the fighter enjoy and partake in the spoils which resulted from the biggest night of his professional career. Recognition is slowly seeping in simply because the shock may be finally headed towards the door. Prior to last Saturday evening, Nonito “Filipino Flash” Donaire was among the top pound for pound fighters on the planet.

News flash: he still is. Concurrently, Guillermo “El Chacal” Rigondeaux was indeed the jackal of sorts for the vast and overwhelming majority of twelve rounds in the ring set upon a stage at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. He put on a master class, yet the fact that he thoroughly and soundly beat Donaire isn’t a chorus line which has happily resonated in the eyes of much of the boxing public. What more must he do.

He was in the right venue, so maybe Rigondeaux needs to stick around to become a top pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.

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Christopher N. (Atlanta, GA): How would you rate Donaire’s performance? And would you entertain the thought of placing Rigondeaux on the P4P list?

Vivek W. I think the best way to address your questions is to point to something I said a long time ago and have maintained ever since. The way I see the whole P4P topic is totally abstract from what the rest of the sport feels. I once touted Donaire’s talent as much as anyone else, but when the topic shifted to such accolades as “Fighter of the Year” and “P4P” worthy, I openly stated that I would take no part in such dialogue. The kid is better than average. His heart is bigger than average. He’s a good lookin’ kid, and a very likable guy outside the ring. All that being said, for those who understand the greatness behind pure fundamental skills, there’s no hesitance to address the fact that he simply isn’t on that level.

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(Tune in to “Left-Hook Lounge Radio” today at 2PM Eastern/11AM Pacific for a breakdown of the fight)

NONITO DONAIRE: KEYS TO VICTORY

For Donaire, the key to victory is one-dimensional with no need to analyze the obvious. Most will initially attempt to look at this matchup and single out his height and reach advantage. Reality tells us that being the bigger man in this showdown won’t mean much, as Donaire has never been a fighter to lean on an opponent or use his weight to wear them down. The physical battle will be meaningless. Instead giving way to the mental angle, which will ultimately be the deciding factor. Donaire has all the tools he needs to win and enough ring intelligence to dispatch them. The operative question at hand is how will he handle what could be the deepest adversity he’s ever seen…..mentally?

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Every great fighter needs a nemesis to challenge him, and long ago Nonito Donaire’s many critics picked one for him in WBA champion Guillermo Rigondeaux. Two equal champions battling for glory? That sounds much more exciting than the sobering reality that Rigondeaux is a massive underdog.

What are Donaire’s real chances of surviving Rigondeaux? Donaire’s many critics contend that Donaire’s amazing career was really just smoke and mirrors, masking the fact that he actually fought second-raters and outright bums.

Some “bums” there. Combined, Donaire’s last four opponents boast an impressive 55-8-2 record in world title fights.

And Rigondeaux? His last five opponents clock in at 2-2-2, with questionable interim titles generously included in the total.

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