Donaire can seal superstar status

Carson City, California - July 6, 2012

Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire can seal his superstar status if he wins impressively against the cocky, towering South African Jeffrey Mathebula in their Home Depot Center, Carson City clash on Sunday morning Manila Time.

Donaire, the WBO super bantamweight champion needs to put on a show against the lanky Mathebula who stands a full head taller than Donaire at 5'10 " and who not only literally looked down on the Filipino four division world champion but in his biting post-weigh-in comments when we interviewed him along with ABS-CBN's Dyan Castillejo on the eve of their unification showdown gave him little respect.

Nonito knows his past two wins while handy, did not duplicate the awesomeness of his spectacular knockouts of IBF/IBO flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan, the cocky Aussie by way of Armenia who crashed to the canvas in the 5th round after absorbing a wicked left hook from Donaire and stumbled around the ring before crashing into the ropes near his corner like a drunken sailor, and his second round annihilation of WBC/WBO bantamweight champion Fernando "Cochulito" Montiel of Mexico.

Besides being chosen as "Knockout of the Year" on both occasions, the victories catapulted Donaire into the No.4 spot in the Ring Magazine pound for pound rankings and into the consciousness of discerning American print and broadcast media.

In a sense Nonito, who grew up from a young age in the US, helped Americans identify with him although at every possible opportunity he strives to drive home the point that he is a Filipino, not in the same dimension as a Manny Pacquiao but one who is getting towards that crossover star status and carving a name for himself in his own special way.

More and more Filipinos and Fil-Americans, realizing that Pacquiao is perhaps in the twilight of his illustrious and indeed incredible career as an eight division world champion, are searching for an heir apparent. Looking across the Pacific they can only see "The Filipino Flash" although there are conceivably other promising young fighters waiting for an opportunity to shine in the ring on the world stage that is America.

The cheers when Donaire stepped on the scales at the weigh-in on Friday at the Manhattan Marriot in Carson City and the crowd that gathered to see him, get photos and sign autographs at a meet-and-greet session opposite City Hall where Donaire earlier met met with Carson City Mayor Jim Dear, councilman Elito Santarina who handed Nonito a "Certificate of Recognition" and the other city councilors, was proof of how slowly but warmly he is being embraced by the fans, including many Mexicans who acknowledge him as "the next Manny Pacquiao."

It's not something Donaire is really comfortable with since he admires Pacquiao and praises him for his unbelievable achievements but wishes to carve his own niche in the world of boxing and to be remembered simply as Nonito Donaire, "The Filipino Flash."

Mexican legend Marcos Antonio Barrera, who got the shock of his life besides a beating he will never forget from Pacquiao at the Alamadome in San Antonio, Texas in November 2003 told us "People know that he (Donaire) is the next Manny Pacquiao so he comes to win." But, in the same breath Barrera warned "I think it will be a tough fight for Donaire.
Mathebula is very strong and puts pressure but Nonito has the experience and the poise to win the fight. I think it's possible for Donaire to win by a knockout."

Mathebula vehemently takes issue in an odd mixture of smiling arrogance proclaiming, "Nonito you'll be [expletive] on Saturday. I'll show you."

And what will Mathebula show Donaire? "That I'm taller and smarter" he says with a cheeky grin. Besides the South African points out that he's a natural super bantamweight or junior featherweight and has fought at 122 pounds for eleven years while deriding Donaire as a mere flyweight.

Mathebula's colorful trainer Nick Durandt points out what many fight fans believe after Donaire's last two fights which he won convincingly but not in the spectacular fashion they have come to expect of him. They refer to his shutout, twelve round victory over two division champion Omar Andres Narvaez of Argentina who refused to engage Nonito after
feeling the power of his punches early in the fight and his split decision win over former WBO super bantamweight champion Wilfredo Vazquez Jr whose fists failed to match his bold predictions and was even dropped by Donaire in the ninth round.

Durandt summed it all up. "Nonito needs badly to impress in this fight. He hasn't looked so good in the 122-pound division so the pressure is on him. Ask Nonito how he's going to fight Mathebula" who promptly picks up the rhetoric saying "Nonito is coming into waters he hasn't been in before. He hasn't fought a man this size and its how he's going to adapt to our size. That is the question."

Barrera and Donaire agree - the answer is simple. It's the old fashioned technique which says batter the body and the head will fall although Nonito adds a caveat - "the body or the head, I can get him."

Donaire is making no predictions but says in a matter of fact tone, "when I fight I always look to win by knockout. Hopefully we can do that."

It's something devoutly to be wished by particularly among Filipino fight fans who are searching for another Manny Pacquiao even though they know, deep down in their hearts, there can only be one Manny Pacquiao.

Editor's note: The blogger's views do not represent Yahoo! Southeast Asia's position on the topic or issue being discussed in this post.