Time to reclaim glory

Three years ago, Nonito Donaire Jr. was ranked No. 3 in the Ring Magazine’s world pound-for-pound ladder behind No. 1 Manny Pacquiao and No. 2 Floyd Mayweather Jr. Two years ago, he was No. 6 behind Mayweather, Andre Ward, Sergio Martinez, Juan Manuel Marquez and Wladimir Klitschko. Today, the Filipino Flash is nowhere near the top 10.

Since losing to Guillermo Rigondeaux in April 2013, there were doubts on whether Donaire could reclaim past glory and return to global ring prominence. Donaire managed to floor Rigondeaux once but couldn’t put the slippery Cuban away, eventually bowing on points. Late that same year, Donaire was back in action, this time against Vic Darchinyan whom he had knocked out with a single left hook to win the IBF/IBO flyweight titles in 2007.

Darchinyan, 37, wasn’t supposed to give Donaire trouble but did. Donaire trailed in two of the three judges scorecards and the third had it even when he pulled a rabbit out of his hat and knocked out the Armenian in the ninth round. It was Darchinyan’s third loss in his last five bouts. In his next fight, Darchinyan was knocked out by Jamaica’s Nicholas Walters to signal what may be the end of his career.

Last May, Donaire took on South Africa’s Simpiwe Vetyeka for the WBA “super” featherweight crown in Macau. Donaire was cut over the left eye by what referee Luis Pabon ruled to be an accidental headbutt near the end of the first round. Donaire claimed an elbow did the damage. With blood spurting out of the gash, Donaire stepped up his attack and decked Vetyeka in the fourth. Then, Pabon called it off after the start of the fifth. If Pabon stopped it before the fifth, the fight would’ve ended in a technical draw or a no-contest. But since he allowed the bell to ring in the fifth, it went to the scorecards and Donaire was declared the winner by a unanimous technical decision. The win earned for Donaire the WBA “super” featherweight title, his third world crown in a different division after collecting the flyweight, bantamweight and superbantamweight belts.

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While Donaire clearly deserved to win, skeptics were unimpressed by his victory over Vetyeka. They said without Pabon’s helping hand, he wouldn’t have wrested the title. They also questioned Vetyeka’s credibility as a world champion. Still, you couldn’t deny Donaire’s power as Vetyeka went down for a three-count but was on his feet when the fight ended.

To erase all doubts, Donaire must win convincingly over Walters in their battle for WBA supremacy at the StubHub Center in Carson City this morning (Manila time). Donaire is the WBA’s “undisputed” or “super” world featherweight titlist while Walters is the WBA’s “regular” world champion in the same 126-pound division. It’s an anomaly that the WBA recognizes two world champions in the same category but that’s how the governing body does business. Donaire is considered the “undisputed” titleholder but there are others who claim to be the featherweight king, namely, Walters, the WBC’s Jhonny Gonzalez, the IBF’s Evgeny Gradovich and the WBO’s Vasyl Lomachenko.

The StubHub Center is a familiar venue to Donaire. In 2012, he was in the arena, then known as the Home Depot Center, to beat Jeffrey Mathebula and Toshiaki Nishioka. As for Walters, it’s only his second outing in the US. Walters fought 16 of his first 17 fights in Panama where the WBA is based. He’s considered a WBA creation, a cause of concern for Donaire if the fight goes the distance and politics will influence the judges.

Referee for the fight is Raul Caiz Jr. who was a judge in Donaire’s win over Vetyeka. Caiz’ father Raul Sr. was the referee in Donaire’s fight against Nishioka. The judges are Adalaide Byrd of Nevada and Tom Taylor and Steve Morrow, both of California. Byrd was a judge in Donaire’s win over Moruti Mthalane in 2008 and in Donnie Nietes’ majority draw with Moises Fuentes in Cebu last year. Taylor’s only assignment in a world title fight came in 2011 in a WBC female superflyweight championship bout. Morrow was a judge in Donaire’s win over Mathebula in 2012.

Walters, 28, boasts a 24-0 record, with 20 KOs, compared to Donaire’s slate of 33-2, with 21 KOs. Both are predicting knockout wins and it’s highly likely the fight won’t go the full route. Walters is a banger and relentless stalker known as the Axeman. Donaire packs a wallop in either hand and would like nothing better than to dispose of Walters by knockout to regain his standing as one of the world’s best.

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Walters was the slight favorite in yesterday’s betting line. You bet $135 on Walters to win $100 while you wager $100 on Donaire to collect $105. The odds are close and might be even money when the fight starts. It’s the first time since 2007 that Donaire isn’t favored in a match. But the Filipino Flash isn’t fazed. He knows what he has to do to win. He’s prepared long and hard for Walters with his father Nonito Sr. by his side. When the bell rings, trainer Robert Garcia will be in his corner to provide experience in making adjustments.

Former Ring editor and boxing historian Nigel Collins picked Walters to win. “The Filipino Flash has been fizzling a bit like a damp sparkler,” wrote Collins in Boxing News. “Except for the 10th round when he scored a knockdown, he was totally flummoxed by Rigondeaux and behind on two cards when he again stopped Darchinyan in his next match. Donaire is a proud and skillful fighter with a left hook just as spiteful as Walters.’ Even so, I think the Jamaican might be catching Nonito at the right time and if my guess is right, the poverty-stricken (Jamaican) nation’s spirits will rise again and the people will celebrate as joyously as they did in 1988 (when Jamaica’s Simon Brown beat Jorge Vaca in an IBF welterweight title defense).”

Beating Walters will silence Donaire’s critics and bring him back where he belongs – in the top 10 world pound-for-pound honor roll. This is his golden chance to regain lost glory. Donaire, 31, has a lot of competitive years ahead. A resounding win over Walters will put him back on track as an iconic global boxing superstar.