By Michael Collins: Nonito Donaire (27-1, 18 KO’s) will be moving up in weight next month against former WBO super bantamweight champion Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. (21-1-1, 18 KO’s) in a fight for the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) super bantamweight title on the undercard of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. vs. Marco Antonio Rubio at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
Donaire, 29, is being groomed for super stardom by Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, whose grand plan is for Donaire to beat Vazquez Jr., beat Jorge Arce, beat WBC super bantamweight champion Toshiako Nishioka and then skip a dangerous a fight against WBA super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux and move up in weight to go after some of the top featherweights.
Depending on how well Donaire does in the super bantamweight and featherweight fights, we could see Donaire eventually move up as high as lightweight. That would be really pushing it but it’s possible if Donaire doesn’t lose his hand speed in moving up in weight.
Unfortunately, there isn’t any big money fights at super bantamweight unless you consider Arce-Donaire a big payday fight. It’s not. Donaire needs to face guys like Juan Manuel Lopez and Yuriorkis Gamboa to get the big money, and those would be very dangerous fights for Donaire because they’re strong fighters and would be around long enough to really test Donaire’s chin.
Arum has picked a softer target for Donaire’s next fight in putting him in with Vazquez Jr., who was knocked out recently by Arce in the 12th round. Vazquez was exposed in that fight and Donaire will likely be able to do the same without taking too much punishment. Vazquez Jr. has good power and is a legit super bantamweight but he doesn’t have the speed that Donaire has and this could be over quickly if Donaire can time him with left hooks.