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The Drama In Saitama II - Inoue Vs Donaire "The Rematch"

6/2/2022

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November 7th 2019 will long be remembered for giving us one of the best Bantamweight bouts in recent memory, as Japanese star Naoya Inoue (22-0, 19) scored a unanimous decision over Filipino legend Nonito Donaire (42-6, 38) to unify the WBA and IBF Bantamweight titles, along with the Ring Magazine title and win the Bantamweight edition of the WBSS. The bout, later dubbed the "Drama in Saitama" was an instant classic, with everything a bout could want. It has intense respect between the two fighters, it had drama as Inoue suffered the first cut of his career, and was later diagnosed with a broken orbital and a fractured nose, and controversy with Ernie Sharif helping Donaire survive the penultimate round of the bout. The bout, later named the Ring Magazine Fight of the year, was brilliant and helped to enhance the reputations of both men.
 
This coming Tuesday we get to do it all again, in one of the most anticipated rematches of 2022. This time the bout will not only be for the WBA, IBF and Ring Magazine titles, but also the WBC title, with only the WBO title being missed on what would have unified all the Bantamweight belts together, for the first time in the 4 belt era.
 
Since their first bout we've not seen as much of Inoue as we would have liked, with the Monster's career stalling in part due to the injuries he suffered against Donaire, and in part due to the Pandemic, which made it nearly impossible to stage big bouts in Japan during 2020 and 2021. As a result Inoue has fought just 3 times in that time period and none of the bouts were huge ones against the divisional elite. Instead they were his Las Vegas debut in October 2020 against the capable Jason Moloney, a mandatory against the underwhelming Michael Dasmarinas and a homecoming defense against the brave but massive over-matched Aran Dipaen. There had been plans for a bout against John Riel Casimero, but that was cancelled due to the pandemic and never re-arranged, unfortunately, before Casimero was stripped of the WBO title.
 
Notably however the inactivity likely served Inoue well, allowing him a lot of time to heal up from the injuries he suffered to Donaire. He wasn't forced to rush back from what is a serious injury, and was instead able to take his time, and when he returned against Jason Moloney almost a year after that clash with Donaire he looked 100% the fighter he had been previously. He seemed very much the Monster we all know and love.
 
As we all know Inoue, arguably the face of Japanese boxing over the last few years, is indeed the Monster. He's one of the few fighters in the sport who really can do it all. He can play the boxer, the boxer-puncher, the counter-puncher and the pressure fighter, and has the tools in his arsenal to really pick and choose what he wants to do and when he wants to do it. He has brutal power, which has carried up from Light Flyweight to Bantamweight and is likely to carry up at least another division, if not two. He has incredible handspeed, impressive footspeed and worryingly for he also has an incredibly quick boxing brain. That boxing brain sees him seeing things before they even look to be there, including counter opportunities and defensive gaps that he can exploit. He's an offensive freak but is also a defensively under-rated fighter, with only Donaire really landing much of note on him since his 2012 debut, and has an incredible jaw, that saw withstand Donaire's much patented left hook.
 
Aged 39 Nonito Donaire should be retired, he should have his feet up, looking back on a great in ring career and either working with the new generation of fighters or using his brain as an analyst. Or even just walking away from boxing and enjoying one of his many hobbies away from the ring. Instead he's proving that a fighter who looks after themselves can give father time a bit of a fight, and still remain one of the most dangerous fighters in the sport. And when we talk about Donaire he really is dangerous, and has a very misleading KO ratio, of just 58.33%, despite being one of the heaviest handed fighters in the sport on a pound for pound basis. His power is legitimate and as he's gotten older, and lost some speed, he's adapted. He's not the same fighter he was, as a young Donaire was sharp, quick and destructive, but he's altered his in ring style to be deliberate, and has moved from a counter-puncher of sorts, to more of a stalking monster looking to take opponents heads off when he lands.
 
Donaire, who has won titles from Flyweight to Featherweight, is a first ballot Hall of Famer when he retires, and his resume reads like a who's who of who, of the lower weights from the last 15 years. Wins over Vic Darchinyan, Moruti Mthalane, Hernan Marquez, Fernando Montiel, Toshiaki Nishioka, Jorge Arce, Ryan Burnett and Nordine Oubaali are just a handful of his wins. Even since the Inoue fight in 2019 he has scored notable wins stopping the then 17-0 Oubaali in 4 rounds and the then 24-0 Reymart Gaballo, further enhancing his reputation as a modern great.
 
Early in his career Donaire lived up to the moniker of the "Filipino Flash". He was lightning quick, with great timing, vicious power but some what poor boxing skills. His power and speed allowed him to get away with making mistakes, and bailed him out of bad situations. With his speed gone now a days, he has changed into a fighter who uses his size, and his ridiculously big frame at Bantamweight, along with his incredibly chin, to take when he needs to. He applies intense stalking pressure now a days. It's slow, it's deliberate, but it's hard to deal with given he still has excellent timing and is happy to take a shot to land a shot. The change in style is almost a reinvention of a fighter, and it's one that has seen him have success well beyond the typical age of a Bantamweight, of almost any fighter for that matter. It's a change that has allowed him to have success in the last part of his career, and whilst it won't forever, he will remain a threat to all the top fighters at 118lbs, due to his toughness, power, size and timing.
 
In their first bout the expectation was that Inoue was going to slay Donaire, stopping him and sending him into retirement. Had that happened it's fair to say Donaire would have been downplayed as being shot, and old. The fact he gave Inoue a tough bout saw both men enhancing their profiles and their positions. For Donaire to then bounce back and blast out Oubaali and prove he was still an elite level Bantamweight further enhanced both men, and coming into the Donaire is older than he was, but is also, arguably, standing in a better position than he was in 2019.
 
Sadly for Donaire however, we don't see him having the same success he had in the first bout with Inoue. Instead we expect to see Inoue being smarter, sharper and using his brain more. He knows what Donaire's left hook can do, and he also knows Donaire can be hurt to the body, with a liver shot sending Donaire down in their first bout. We suspect that will be the key for Inoue here, as he uses his speed, to target the body of Donaire, landing single shots to to slowly take the wind out of Donaire in the early part of the fight. Single shots from Inoue, who will look to get in and get out, draw Donaire into mistakes and tag the body. In the later rounds those body shots will take a toll, force Donaire to defend his body, before Inoue goes up top with a burst of head shots, forcing a stoppage in the later rounds.
 
After the bout, win or lose, we expect to see Donaire retire sailing off in to the sunset as a modern legend. Likewise we expect this to be either the final, or penultimate, Bantamweight bout for Inoue who will move up to Super Bantamweight and begin to hunt world titles in his 4th weight class.
 
Prediction - TKO10 Inoue
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WBC champion Donaire faces Gaballo in all Filipino world title bout!

12/6/2021

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This coming Saturday in California we'll see WBC Bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire (41-6, 27) take on interim champion Reymart Gaballo (24-0, 20) in a mandatory title fight, and a rare all-Filipino world title bout.
 
The bout isn't the one anyone wanted to see for Donaire, who had been linked to unification bouts against Naoya Inoue and Johnriel Casimero, but it should be a an interesting one, with the bout serving as a chance for Donaire, aged 39, to continue an incredible late career run as a world  champion and for Gaballo to announce himself a legitimate world level fighter.
 
Of the two men the more well known, by far, is Donaire. He's a true future Hall of Famer and a legitimate legend of the sport. His career has seen him win world titles at Flyweight, Bantamweight, Super Bantamweight and Featherweight, before moving back down the weights and picking up Super Bantamweight and Bantamweight titles a second time. Now aged 39 he is the oldest ever Bantamweight world champion, and he is still a devastating fighter. He gave Naoya Inoue his toughest bout, in 2019, and blasted out Nordine Oubaali this past May for the WBC title, proving that even now, at a very advanced age for a Bantamweight, he is still a world class fighter.
 
In his younger years Donaire was a very sharp boxer-puncher. He was technically solid, without being spectacular, but had lightning speed, amazing timing and fight changing power. His left hook was as potent a weapon as any fighter had in their arsenal. As he moved up the weights and ages, he slowed down, and whilst his power has always been brutal he's adapted his style, allowing him to age remarkably well in the ring. He's no longer a quick, sharp puncher, but instead he's become the sort of Horror Villain, walking opponents down, hunting them and forcing an error for him to counter. He's now using his size, and he is a huge Bantamweight, and experience rather than speed and is a very, very hard man to beat at 118lbs.
 
Reymart Gaballo on the other hand is someone looking to make an impact, and make up for a very underwhelming performance last time out, when he took a much debated split decision against Emmanuel Rodriguez. The heavy handed Gaballo has looked really good at times, and for much of his career he has looked like a heavy handed, quick, sharp and exciting fighter. He showed what he could do in his US debut, when he beat Stephon Young for the WBA "interim" world title, though sadly he then went on to score some low key wins, rather than build on that one, and it wasn't until last December that he faced another noteworthy fighter, and took that questionable decision over Rodriguez. That bout saw him look limited, tame, and very much like a fighter trying to change his style, right before the biggest fight of his career. In that win he was more patient than ever, but looked like he had lost himself to a change that he didn't fully believe in or truly commit to.
 
At his best Gaballo looks explosive, hard hitting, and like a man who loves committing to combinations and flurries, with a good sense of flair and excitement. In fact he has a lot of similarities to John Riel Casimero, albeit a much less proven and less impressive Casimero. Sadly though he really didn't fight his usual fighter against Rodriguez, and the likely reason for that is the fact Rodriguez didn't let him. Instead Rodriguez boxed, used his brain, created range and angles and left Gaballo looking lost and confused and really not doing much at all as a result. That bout left us feeling that he was trying to change who he was, and lost what made him who he was. If that's the same here he's going to be in a lot of trouble, especially given that he's not a fighter with particularly good defense.
 
Gaballo certainly has the potential to be a major player in the division. He has the power, the speed and the explosiveness to be a real danger man. Sadly though where not sure he has the experience, the seasoning or the polish to be that man at the moment. The Rodriguez fight showed a lot of issues with him, and he was lucky that Rodriguez, whilst a very good boxer, is not a puncher. Sadly for Gaballo, Donaire is a puncher, and Donaire won't try to fiddle his way to a victory. Instead he will time Gaballo, lure Gaballo into a mistake and detonate a thunderous left hook. When he does that Gaballo will feel it. He may withstand some, but sooner or later one will land too clean and will drop him. Donaire might not be the fighter he used to be, but he is still a clinical finisher and we can't see him letting Gaballo off the hook when he has him hurt. Especially knowing that Gaballo has so many defensive flaws.
 
This could be exciting early, but we only see it ending one way. An early win for Donaire.
 
Prediction - TKO4 Donaire
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Oubaali faces Donaire in WBC mandatory title bout!

5/23/2021

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One thing that was undeniable about the boxing scene in 2020, was that it was a year that messed up the calendar, significantly, and saw so many bouts being cancelled or postponed. Due to the effects of Covid19 a lot of major names in the sport either didn't fight at all in 2020, or fought just once, as their careers stagnated  for a year. Thankfully it appears that 2021 will be the year that things get back to normal, at least in the last few months of the year.
 
Two men that were massively affected by the Covid19 pandemic were WBC Bantamweight champion Nordine Oubaali (17-0, 12) and his mandatory challenger Nonito Donaire (40-6, 26), who had a planned bout cancelled when Oubaali tested positive for Covid19. Donaire himself would also test positive for the virus, though it appears his positive test was likely a false positive, as he got a negative response in a confirmatory test that he and his team paid for.
 
With neither man fighting last year, and with Oubaali having a planned March defense cancelled as well, neither man has actually fought since November 2019, when they both featured on the same card over in in Japan. That card saw Donaire lose to Naoya Inoue, in the WBSS Bantamweight final, and Oubaali beat Naoya's younger brother Takuma Inoue to retain the WBC title. Following those bouts in Japan, and the cancellation of an eliminator featuring Luis Nery who failed to make weight, Donaire was made the mandatory challenger to Oubaali, in what looked like a great bout for early 2020. Before the pandemic left it's mark on the sport's calendar.
 
Despite the long lay off for both men, and the issues of 2020, we'll get to see the two men clash this coming weekend in arguable the best Bantamweight bout currently on the schedule, and one of the most interesting bouts the division has seen in well over a year. It's a bout neither man can afford to lose, and a bout that sets the winner up for a potential unification bout, possible with Naoya Inoue or Johnriel Casimero.
 
So with that back story out of the way how do we see this bout? And what can we say about the two men involved?
 
The defending champion, Oubaali, is a 34 year old southpaw who was a former amateur standout before turning professional in 2014. He started his career well and picked up notable wins over Hiram Irak Diaz, Julio Cesar Miranda, Alejandro Hernandez and Mark Anthony Geraldo  in his first on his way to a world title fight. When he finally got his world title shot he beat Rau'shee Warren for the then vacant WBC title, which he has now defended twice, stopping Arthur Villanueva and scoring the aforementioned win over Takuma Inoue in 2019. For a man with just 17 bouts his resume is genuinely solid, not spectacular but really solid. Sadly however for a man who is now in his mid 30's, in a division where most fighters are consider on the slide at the age of 30, his careers underwhelming, and it's clear he will need to not just win here, but rack up other wins to live up to his full potential.
 
In the ring Oubaali is a solid technician. A really good technical boxer, with under-rated power, a surprising physicality, very good speed, sharp punches and good work rate. He is, however, small at the weight, has questionable stamina, and there are perhaps some questions about his durability. To date he's yet to face an actual world class puncher, and he was hurt against Inoue in the later rounds, as Takuma surprisingly made the very competitive late on, despite what the scorecards for that bout suggest.
 
When it comes to Nonito Donaire it's fair to say there it little that hasn't already been said about the Filipino legend and future Hall of Famer. He is a legitimate legend and there is no denying that. Aged 38 Donaire has been there, done that and got the T-shirt. He made his professional debut way back in February 2001, when his first world title in 2007, when he upset Vic Darchinyan, and became one of the few major stars of the lower weight classes. He managed to win world titles at Flyweight, Bantamweight, Super Bantamweight and Featherweight, while scoring notable wins over a who's who, of who. He has beaten Darchinyan, Moruti Mthalane, Raul Martinez, Rafael Concepcion, Hernan Marquez, Volodymyr Sydorenko, Fernando Montiel, Omar Andres Narvaez, Wilfredo Vazquez Jr, Jeffrey Mathebula, Toshiaki Nishioka, Jorge Arce, Simpiwe Vetyeka and Ryan Burnett. Despite picking up losses along the way he has one of the best resumes in the sport today. A truly brilliant resume.
 
In the ring Donaire has changed his style over the years, but some things have remained the same. Over the years he has tried boxing southpaw, and was once very light on his feet, but as he's aged he's become less reliant on his speed, with his legs and footwork both slowing, in fact he's almost a flat-footed fighter. Instead of relying on speed he's relied on his physicality, size, power and strength, and he's a huge Bantamweight. Last year he dwarfed Inoue in their bout and will tower over Oubaali here. He's strong, tough, with a dynamite left hook, a really impressive chin, thunderous jab, good technical skills and excellent timing. Given he's now 38 it's hard to know what he's got left in the tank, but given his performance last time out, against Inoue, there is a feeling he may well have one more big performance left before he calls time on his career.
 
It's hard to know what both men will be bringing to the ring here. Both have been out of the ring for more than 18 months, both old are for Bantamweights and whilst Oubaali is younger it'll be interesting to see how he looks following his legitimate bout with Covid19.
 
At their best it would be almost impossible to favour Oubaali. Even now it's hard to pick the Moroccan born French fighter, who's key advantages are being younger than Donaire and being quicker. We suspect he lacks the fire power to get Donaire's attention, he'll be the much smaller man, he'll have to work incredibly hard to get in and get without eating Donaire's stiff jab and potent left hooks. Especially if he tires again as he did against Takuma Inoue. If a tired Oubaali, perhaps even an Oubaali feeling the effects of his 2020 illness, show up, this could be a very, very tough night for him.
 
That's not to say Oubaali can't win. He could out work and out fiddle Donaire early on, then see out the 12 rounds fighting on the retreat. We can see that happening, but we're not expecting it. Instead we see Oubaali starting well, but tiring through the fight and then being stopped late as the power, size, and strength of Donaire wears him down.
 
Predictionm - TKO10 Donaire.
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The WBSS Final - Inoue Vs Donaire

10/30/2019

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By - George Delis (@Delisketo)
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The most anticipated fight in the Japanese boxing scene takes place on November 7th at the Saitama Super Arena, as Naoya Inoue and Nonito Donaire finally meet in the finals of the Bantamweight WBSS Tournament, for the WBA (Super), IBF & The Ring World championships as well as the prestigious Ali Trophy.

Naoya Inoue (18-0 / 16 KOs) is considered to be one of the best boxers that have come out of the land of the rising sun. His power, agility and precision have brought him immense success, while he is already ranked in the top 5 (P4P) list by The Ring, ESPN, the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board and others.

Before becoming a pro, he had a relatively short but rather accomplished amateur career, amassing 75 victories in 81 outings, with 48 of them being stoppages. Naoya won numerous (inter) high school tournaments, earned the gold at the 2011 Indonesia Presidential Cup and became the All Japan Light Flyweight champion, the same year. He also placed high at the Asian & World championships.

In 2012, the Monster finally made his pro debut and quickly made himself a guy to look out for. After going 3-0, in less than a year, he was set to face Ryoichi Taguchi (27-4) for the Japanese Light Flyweight title. Taguchi, at 18-1, not only was he the more experienced of the two, but he was also a world ranked fighter. Inoue displayed much aggressiveness, taking control of the fight from the opening round. We saw a lot of his body work at display, which became a signature strategy as his career progressed. After 10 rounds of action, the youngster took a clear unanimous decision win (one of only the two times a fight of his has gone the distance) and the belt. Taguchi eventually went on to become the WBA, IBF & The Ring Light Flyweight World champion.

Just 4 months later, he fought Jerson Mancio (18-6) for the vacant OPBF Light Flyweight title. Naoya’s offense was too fast for the Filipino. He weakened his opponent with body shots, before the referee was forced to stop the fight in the 5th as Mancio was getting repeatedly tagged.

It wasn’t long after that Inoue received his first world title shot against Adrian Hernandez (30-5) on April of 2014. The 2 time WBC Light Flyweight World champion had marked 4 successful title defenses coming into this one. Both strong body punchers, Hernandez seemed to be gaining ground in the 4th round but Naoya quickly bounced back with some heavy shots of his own. It was an even match until the 6th when the Japanese Monster dropped El Confesor with a lighting fast right hook, who despite getting up, refused to continue. As a result, Inoue was declared the World champion at 21 years of age, in only his 6th professional bout.

Inoue defended the WBC title only once against Wittawas Basapean (34-11), before moving 2 weight classes up and within the same year, he challenged Omar Andres Narvaez (49-3) for the WBO Super Flyweight World championship. Narvaez, a 1999 Pan American Games winner, enjoyed a 7 year reign with the WBO Flyweight World title (16 defenses) prior to winning the Super Flyweight strap, which he had held for 4 years at the time (11 defenses). This was meant to be the Japanese fighter’s toughest test yet. Instead, it turned out to be one of his most dominant performances, as he dropped the veteran 4 times in just 2 rounds, sealing the deal with the liver shot, to become a 2 division World champion. That was the sole KO loss in Narvaez’s career.

The Monster remained champion for 3.5 years, reaching an impressive number of 7 title defenses. Warlito Parrenas (26-10), Karoon Jarupianlerd (44-9), Ricardo Rodriguez (16-7) and Antonio Nieves (19-2) were easy work for him, as neither of them were close to his level. David Carmona (21-6) did better, simply because Naoya injured his right hand during the match. Still, he managed to outclass his opponent, even put him down in the last round, earning his second and last decision victory. Yoan Boyeaux (41-6), another promising challenger, was on a 31 fight winning streak (close to 5 years unbeaten) and with 26 KOs under his belt. This also ended up being a one sided beatdown, with Inoue scoring 4 knockdowns in less than 8 minutes.

His best challenge was against the 2 time WBA Super Flyweight World champion Kohei Kono (33-12) on December of 2016. Kono came out strong in the beginning, connecting with some good punches, surprising Inoue for a while. Before you know it, this was turned into a wild brawl with both men bringing the heat and exciting the fans. All that changed in the 6th when Naoya landed a perfect left hook that floored the former champ and proceeded to finish him off a couple of seconds later, putting an end to this thrilling encounter.

In 2018, Inoue decided to enter the Bantamweight ranks and immediately challenged the WBA (Regular) title holder Jamie McDonnell (30-3). The Yorkshire native hadn’t suffered a single loss in a decade (22 fights). A former British, Commonwealth, European & IBF Bantamweight World champion, McDonnell was his best opponent since Narvaez. The Monster, true to his nickname, overwhelmed the champ with powerful shots, dropping him in the very 1st round. McDonnell managed to stand up again, but found himself trapped against the ropes as Naoya delivered a lethal flurry to get the KO.

After the fight, the Japanese superstar announced his participation at the WBSS and in October of last year, he was matched against the former WBA (Super) World champion Juan Carlos Payano (21-3). In what was voted as one of the best knockouts of 2018 (#1 by The Ring Magazine), Inoue nailed him with a straight right and put his lights out, 70 seconds into the fight.

He proceeded to ruin Emmanuel Rodriguez’s (19-1) perfect record, by knocking him down thrice in the 2nd round, securing the IBF World championship in the process. McDonnell, Payano and Rodriguez had never been stopped before in their entire career.

Naoya is finally a step away from fulfilling his destiny and winning the Ali Trophy, but in order to accomplish that, he has to go through one of the most successful fighters that has come out of the Philippines.

Nonito Donaire (40-5 / 26 KOs) has been a boxer for over 20 years. Beginning his amateur career back in the 90s, the Filipino had won 3 U.S. national championships, as well as the 1999 International Junior Olympics gold medal. His record stood at 68 wins and only 8 losses.

As a pro, he went 17-1 before challenging Vic Darchinyan (43-9) in 2007, for the IBF Flyweight World title. The Armenian was 28-0 at the time and had been the reigning champion since 2004, boasting 6 successful title defenses. Donaire established his dominance from the opening round, with the left punch being the difference maker. He kept hitting hard, giving Darchinyan the biggest test of his career. As he was trying to close the distance, Nonito connected with a thunderous counter left, right in the jaw, ending the champ’s undefeated reign. Donaire, not only captured the World title for the 1st time, but also the “Knockout of the year” and “Upset of the year” awards from The Ring Magazine.

The Filipino Flash defended his belt 3 times, against Luis Maldonado (36-15), in what was an one sided beatdown, Moruti Mthalane (38-2), due to a cut, and the then unbeaten Raul Martinez (30-4), who he dropped thrice. In all of his matches, Donaire had showcased incredible speed and timing, especially with his left hooks & uppercuts and of course his counter shots, which all have been proven to be his favourite weapons, even to this day.

His second reign began in 2009 when he won the interim WBA Super Flyweight title, after a hard hitting battle with the former champion Rafael Concepcion (18-8) at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, in Las Vegas. Nonito then made short work of Manuel Vargas (32-11) who seemed to be out of his depth. In the 3rd round, he was almost dancing around the former interim WBO Strawweight champion, while throwing punches, before finishing him off with a left uppercut. He also defended against Hernan Marquez (43-10) where once again, the left uppercut sealed the deal.

Donaire made his Bantamweight debut against Olympic Bronze medalist and former WBA (Regular) champion Volodymyr Sydorenko (22-3) back in 2010 and looked better than ever. He scored a knockdown in the 1st, courtesy of a right cross. Another one in the 3rd with a left hook and dropped him for the final time in the 4th with a right straight. By the end, Sydorenko’s face was a bloody mess, full of bruises after the all the punishment he had to endure. That was his only stoppage loss and last fight as well.

On February 19 of 2011, Nonito challenged 3 division World champion Fernando Montiel (54-6) for the WBC & WBO Bantamweight titles. Going into this one, both men were ranked amongst the top 10 boxers in the world. The Filipino Flash threw one of the best punches of his career, as he connected with a counter left in the 2nd round, dropping Cochulito hard to the canvas. Even though he got back up, he was clearly out on his feet and after 2 more shots, the referee stopped the fight.

His inaugural defense of the belts was against the aforementioned Omar Andres Narvaez (49-3) who was coming into this match with a perfect 35-0 record. Not the most exciting performance from Donaire, but he still managed to outbox the 2 division World champion and win a wide unanimous decision.

Moving up again a weight class, and in February of 2012, he fought the former WBO Super Bantamweight World champion Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. (25-7) for the same vacant title. It was a rather close contest, during which Vasquez was dropped for the very first time of his career. When the final bell rang, Donaire was crowned a 4 division king.

Riding all that momentum, his next goal was to become the undisputed champion at Super Bantamweight. He first unified with the IBF champion Jeffrey Mathebula (27-5) in July of the same year. A much more impressive showing than his last 2 outings.

Next on the list was the WBC champion Toshiaki Nishioka (39-5). The WBC Diamond, The Ring and the lineal titles were also on the line. Nishioka played a defensive game, offering no significant offense of his own. Donaire utilized his patented left uppercut to score a knockdown in the 6th, but hurt his hand in the process, forcing him to rely only on his right for the rest of the match. The Japanese fighter finally put together some good combinations in the 9th, trapping Nonito against the ropes, but still got dropped with a counter straight right and shortly after the fight was stopped.

In what was basically an exhibition of his speed and power, Donaire defended his belts against fellow 4 division World champion Jorge Arce (64-8) in December, scoring 3 knockdowns and retiring another fighter once more.

His first loss in 12 years came on April of 2013, as he failed in his final unification fight with the WBA (Super) champion & 2 time Olympic Gold medallist Guillermo Rigondeaux (19-1). He still managed though to land a left hook in the 9th round, putting the Olympian down but not out.

The Filipino Flash bounced back with another stoppage victory over now 2 division champion Vic Darchinyan, before graduating to Featherweight and facing Simpiwe Vetyeka (30-4) for the WBA (Super) title. To no one’s surprise, the left hook did the trick again in the 4th, before the fight abruptly ended a round later, due to an accidental head clash. His reign however was short lived, as he lost the championship to Nicholas Walters (26-1) only 5 months later. Despite a strong start, Walters proved to be a much tougher opponent than expected, ending Donaire’s sole Featherweight title run, giving him the 1st (and thus far only) KO loss of his illustrious career.

In 2015, Nonito decided to return to Super Bantamweight and convincingly defeated William Prado (22-5), Anthony Settoul (24-8) and Cesar Juarez (24-7) in a fight of the year candidate, becoming the WBO champion for the 2nd time. He only defended the title once, against Zsolt Bedak (25-2), before losing it to the then undefeated Jessie Magdaleno (27-1).

He tried his luck at Featherweight one last time but, besides one minor victory, he came up short against Carl Frampton (26-2) when they met for the interim WBO championship in 2018. Even though he did throw the best punches and seemingly did more damage than his opponent, Frampton played a smart game, not engaging in any big exchanges, while scoring points which in the end earned him the strap.

Most recently, Donaire moved back to Bantamweight, in order to participate in the WBSS. In the opening round of the tournament, he clashed with the then undefeated WBA (Super) World champion Ryan Burnett (20-1). That was the Filipino’s first Bantamweight match since 2011. An injury, which seemed to have been caused from one of Donaire’s left punches to the body, rendered Burnett unable to continue, thus declaring him the new champion. Then earlier this year, the scheduled double title bout, with the WBO champion Zolani Tete (28-3), was cancelled, due to Tete suffering a shoulder injury. Instead, Nonito defended against last minute replacement Stephon Young (18-2), who he knocked out with a decapitating left hook. Now Donaire has the chance to once again be recognised as one of the best boxers in the world today, by winning his final fight this coming Thursday night in Japan. But this task is easier said than done.

It’s easy to be amazed by the careers of these men. Both have been in the ring with some of the best boxers from all over the world and have gathered countless championships. However this fight might be their most significant one yet. Their paths share many similarities but at the same time are completely opposite. For Inoue, it’s a chance to become a global star. For Donaire, it could very well be his last hurrah. After 20 years into the sport, the Filipino Flash has won world titles in 5 different weight classes. The experience factor is definitely on his side. Unfortunately, that also means that he’s not a young fighter anymore. His speed and stamina are no longer what they used to.

On the other hand, Inoue is at his prime. An unstoppable force that has rained havoc in every one of his opponents, with none of them being able to even score a single knockdown against him. Power, agility, precision, timing. Four attributes that once were used to describe Donaire. As that wasn’t enough, the Monster has looked even more spectacular in this division than in any other one he has been in. His entire Bantamweight run has been a total of 7 minutes and 21 seconds. That’s how long it took him to knockout 3 world champions. Whereas Donaire’s latest Bantamweight run can be described with only one word: Luck ! Burnett’s injury and Tete having to pull out of the tournament are the key reasons why he has made it to the finals. Still, this doesn’t mean he isn’t a dangerous opponent. His power is still here. His timing is still here. Inoue has to be careful of Donaire’s left hand and counter strikes, at all times. But, in the end of the day, the Japanese Monster seems to be in a completely different level from everyone else. For all of his achievements and accomplishments, make no mistake that, Donaire is coming in as the underdog.

So the final question is this: will Inoue demolish another world champion on his way to superstardom or can Donaire’s experience and luck bring him the big win one last time ? We will find out on November 7th, when these 2 warriors clash in Saitama !

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Donaire and Tete to battle for WBSS final place!

4/19/2019

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The WBSS semi-finals finally kick off this coming weekend, and in regards to Asian boxing we'll get the first of the two Bantamweight semi-final bouts, as WBA "super" champion Nonito Donaire (39-5, 25) takes on WBO king Zolani Tete (28-3, 21). The winner will not only unify the titles but also advance to the WBSS Bantamweight final, later in the year, where they will face either Naoya Inoue or Emmanuel Rodriguez.
 
Whilst the WBSS has stalled losing it's shine shine and momentum this year, the competition is still something that has got fan interest and this bout certainly looks to be one of the most interesting of the tournament so far. It pits established names against each other, both men who are in their 30's, both of whom will know that winning the WBSS tournament will be the biggest achievement of their career. It gives both the chance to not only unify two titles with this bout, but also add the IBF title in the final, and really stamp their mark on the Bantamweight division.
 
The 36 year old Donaire is a modern day legend. He has not only been one of the most genuine, classy and likable fighters in the sport, but also a lower weight superstar. Since shocking Vic Darchinyan back in 2007 for the IBF Flyweight we have seen Donaire as one of the faces of the lower weight classes. Over the last decade or so he has scored notable wins over a real who's who, including Moruti Mthalane, Hernan Marquez, Fernando Montiel, Omar Andres Narvaez, Wilfredo Vazquez Jr, Toshiaki Nishioka, Jorge Arce, Simpiwe Vetyeka and most recently Ryan Burnett. Whilst the level of performance varied it's hard to doubt the level of wins Donaire has picked up. 
 
Despite a host of big wins Donaire has picked up losses in recent years, losing 4 of his last 12 bouts. Those losses have however come to world class fighters Guillermo Rigondeaux, Nicholas Walters, Jessie Magdaleno and Carl Frampton. Those losses have shown that Donaire, at times, wasn't a master boxer, wasn't lightening quick and was event fighting above his best weight. Despite those issues he was always a very dangerous puncher, with one of the most devastatings hooks in the sport.
 
In the ring Donaire isn't as quick or as sharp as he once was, but he is a strong, powerful, skilled fighter. If he boxes at 118lbs he won't have the sharpness to hold his own, but if he applies an intelligent pressure style, he will be able to impose his will on most opponents. Although Ryan Burnett made him look slow in their bout last year Donaire's pressure was having success and we suspect to see that type of game plan from him again here.
 
Donaire's opponent is 31 year old South African Zolani Tete, a rangy, tall and skilled fighter who really is a phsyical freak at 118lbs. Like many top South African fighters it took a long time for Tete to get much international attention, that's despite fighting for a world title way back in 2010, when he lost to Moruti Mthalane. Tete would in fact go 3-2 following his first loss, losing razor thin decisions to Jaun Alberto Rosas and Roberto Domingo Sosa, both on the road. Since those 3 losses he has won 12 in a row, become a 2-weight champion and finally got some respect as a top fighter.
 
The recent winning run of Tete has seen him defeat Juan Carlos Sanchez Jr, Teiru Kinoshita, who he beat for the IBF Super Flyweight title, Paul Butler, Arthur Villanueva, Siboniso Gonya, Omar Andrez Narvaez and Mikhail Aloyan. Against Butler he looked sensational, against Gonya he looked destructive, but those bouts aside he has left himself open to criticism, as lack a killer instinct, and being too happy at winning, rather than wanting to win and look good. There's been a bit of a "fighting in third gear" feel about his recent showings, and they have seen him look less than great.
 
Despite not looking amazing Tete is a quick, sharp fighter, with solid power, a great judge of distance, accurate punches and good movement. He lacks a real spitefulness to his work, in general, but is a hugely skilled fighter who has the sort of size rarely seen at Bantamweight. He's very tall and very long.
 
Coming in to this we're expecting a pretty clear stylistic match up. Tete will look to use his reach, his speed and his jab, he will look to keep Donaire at range and rack up the rounds. Donaire on the other hand might begin as a boxer but will revert to being a pressure fighter as the bout goes on, bringing the heat and looking to beat down Tete with heavy leather.
 
We can see both men winning. We can clearly see Tete putting on a boxing class, fighting safely and racking up the early rounds before cruising to a closer than it should be decision. We can also see Donaire's vicious power and physicality breaking down Tete in the middle rounds.
 
We'd love to see a Donaire win, and we'd obviously love a Donaire Vs Inoue final, but it would be an upset for him to do it at his age. Instead we're going with a Tete decision win, with the South African staying sharp, on his toes and alert of the danger Donaire brings. He'll not put on a show, but he will get the win.
 
Preduction UD12 Tete.

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Burnett and Donaire face off for final semi-final place!

10/28/2018

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This coming Saturday we find out who will be the fourth of the World Boxing Super Series Bantamweight Semi-Finalists, as unbeaten Northern Irish fighter Ryan Burnett (19-0, 9) takes on Filipino icon Nonito Donaire (38-5, 24) in the final bout of the quarter final stage. Not only is the bout a WBSS bout, to decide who faces Zolani Tete in the next round of the competition, but it will also see Burnett defending his WBA "Super" Bantamweight title, in what will be his second defense of the title. 

Of the two fighters Donaire is the more well known, and in fact he is one of the few lower weight fighters who has made a mark across the globe. He's well known in his native Philippines, he's fought much of his career in North America, often fighting Latin Americans and has also managed one to fight in Europe, losing to the popular Carl Frampton last time out. Whilst he is very well known he is unfortunately a faded star, and he actually turns 36 in just a few weeks time. He's not a young 36 either, having been a professional since 2001 and fighting at world level pretty consistently since his 2007 upset win over Vic Darchinyan. Donaire has also been matched against a veritable who's who from Flyweight to Featherweight, sharing the ring with the likes of Darchinyan, Moruti Mthalane, Hernan Marquez, Fenando Montiel, Omar Andres Narvaez, Toshiaki Nishioka, Jorge Arce, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Nicholas Walters and Carl Frampton, just to name a few. His career has seen him rise from a fresh faced young Flyweight champion to a Featherweight champion as a veteran. 

In the ring Donaire is a fighter who has been blessed with brutal power, a good ring IQ and solid boxing fundamentals. Sadly in his prime he wasn't the most active and often seemed to be the type of fighter who looked to land the perfect punch, even when he moved up in weight his power was devastating, though his activity never really impressed and at times he could be made to look very predictable by defensively minded fighters, with the older, smaller Narvaez making him look 1 paced and Rigondeaux making him look clumsy. Now, in his mid 30's, he's lost some speed, his mobility isn't what it once was and with his low work rate doesn't allow him to chip away at opponents. He also has a huge question mark over his ability to safely make Bantamweight, and what he will have left in him when he gets in the ring. That's a major issue given he hasn't made the weight in over 7 years! 

At 26 years old Burnett is one of the youngest fighters in the Bantamweight WBSS and is also one of the more accomplished from the young bunch, having won the IBF title in June 2017 and unifying it with the WBA "Super" title just a few months later. Sadly mandatory obligations for the WBA and IBF saw him vacating the IBF title, which is now held by fellow WBSS competitor Emmanuel Rodriguez. Not only is he an accomplished fighter but Burnett is a former amateur standout who has a fantastic boxing brain, a good engine and a brilliant awareness in the ring. He's slippery, awkward, sharp and a great mover. Sadly however Burnett does lack power and has gone the distance in his last 8 bouts, whilst showing little killer instinct and no real interest in hunting a stoppage. One wonders whether he has that extra gear and spitefulness that he'll need to win the WBSS, or whether he's simply too nice and lacks the teeth to get past the likes of Naoya Inoue and Zolani Tete. Despite the criticism few can doubt his ability and wins over the likes of Jason Booth, Lee Haskins, Zhant Zhakiyanov and Yonfrez Parejo really do prove that. 

The key for the champion here is to out manoeuvre, the Filipino veteran. Burnett has the speed to make this look very easy, as long as he can avoid the power of the Filipino. Donaire will however be dangerous through out the bout, and if the Filipino has made weight without harming himself too much that power will be as devastating as ever, if he can land a perfect counter. Burnett is the naturally smaller man, giving away notable height and reach to the Filipino, but his edge in speed, activity and youth should be enough for him to take home the win, and retain his title whilst moving on to the next round of the WBSS. 

We'd love to see one more great performance from Donaire, who has been a key figure in the lower weights for a decade. The reality however is that his great career is coming to an end, and although he might have one great performance in him we don't think that'll come here against a man who could make the Filipino look very old if he wishes. Donaire's toughness should keep him in the bout, and his power will always make him dangerous, but we see him losing a very lopsided decision to the baby faced Burnett. 

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Donaire defends WBO title against unbeaten Magdaleno

10/31/2016

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November 5th is a hectic day with numerous significant bouts and title contests taking place during day, from an OPBF title bout in Japan to the ring return of a boxing icon. With so many action it's hard to pick one bout and suggest it should be the best of them, but if pushed it does seem likely that WBO Super Bantamweight title bout will be the most intriguing of the bunch.

That bout sees reigning world champion, and modern day boxing legend, Nonito Donaire (37-3, 24) making the second defense of his title and taking on the unbeaten, and very highly touted, Jessie Magdaleno (23-0, 17).

The 33 year old champion might not be “Manny Pacquiao” but he is pretty much the #2 Filipino in boxing circles right now, perhaps only challenged by 2-weight world champion Donnie Nietes. Like Pacquiao he has gone through the weight classes, and claimed titles from Flyweight up to Featherweight, though has settled back at Super Bantamweight. Also like Pacquiao he is a fighter coming to the end, he might have one or two fights left in him, or 3 or 4 years but we have certainly seen the best of Donaire.

At his best Donaire was a huge fighter in lower weight classes who had real size advantages, power, skills, speed and appeared to have all the tools for a long and lengthy reign at Super Flyweight, Bantamweight or Super Bantamweight. Instead he rose through the weights looking for challengers and scored wins against a veritable who's who, including Vic Darchinyan, Moruti Mthalane, Hernan Marquez, Fernando Montiel, Omar Andres Narvaez, Toshiaki Nishioka and Jorge Arce. Some of those were under-sized, other were over the hill, but they were top names and helped make Donaire a major lower weight attraction.

As he moved up the weights he hasn't continued to be as amazing as he once was. He is however still a big puncher, he's got solid skills and impressive skills. Over the 12 round distance he has got questionable stamina, and that was shown notably against Cesar Juarez. Saying that however making it to the latter parts of the fight with Donaire has been a challenge in it's self and 3 of his last 4 opponents have failed to hear the bell to end round 3, and it's worth noting Juarez himself was almost stopped in round 4 before mounting a brilliant fight back.

Whilst Donaire is a true veteran, and had his world title fight more than 9 years ago, the same cannot be said of Magdaleno, a 24 year old prospect who is getting his first world title bout. In fact not only is the bout set to be his first world title bout but also his first 12 round bout of any variety. That's a surprise when you consider that Magdaleno has had 23 bouts and been a professional for close to 6 years, with his team raving about him from incredibly early in his career. In fact part of the reason he was so highly touted was because he was a decorated amateur with 120 and including US and national Gold Glove titles.

Through out Magdaleno's career he has shown all the traits of a fighter heading towards a world title. He has impressed with his power, speed and skills whilst his calmness in the ring has been incredible and it's clear that he's a natural. Sadly though he's not been able to shows those abilities against particularly testing opponents, with his best opponents being Raul Hirales and a shop worn Luis Maldonado. Not only has he failed to fight decent competition be he is also very unproven over the longer distances, with only 2 scheduled 10 rounders on his record and he has only been 7 rounds, or more, on 5 occasions.

On paper this could be a passing of the torch bout, with Magdaleno picking up the proverbial torch from Donaire, but he would need to prove so many things to do that. He would need to prove that he's as good as hyped, he'd need to avoid Donaire's power and probably prove he himself can do 12 rounds. If he can't do those things then it's hard to imagine how he can beat someone like Donaire, or any other world class fighter.

Although Donaire is coming to the end of his career we think that he's still too much for Magadaleno given the way the American has been matched so far. And whilst we can see Magdaleno's youth being an issue for Donaire we don't think he'll manage to cope with the power and speed of Donaire in the early rounds. If Magdaleno can survive the first 5 rounds then things will be interesting, but we'll be honest and say that we doubt that'll happen with Donaire such a heavy handed fighter at Super Bantamweight.

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Donaire looks to beatdown Bedak 

4/19/2016

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This coming weekend is a busy one for Asian fighters with a trio of Asian's fighting in world title fights. One of those is current WBO Super Bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire (36-3, 23), who makes the first of the title he regained last year, who faces little known Hungarian challenger Zsolt Bedak (25-1, 8), who is getting his second world title shot.

​The talented, and popular, Donaire has had a brilliant career and turned a 1-1 start into a career that has seen him claim world titles from Flyweight to Featherweight and likely secure a place in the HOF. Sadly however he is coming to the end of the road and has shown a clear deterioration over the last few years, with poor performances against the likes of Omar Andres Narvaez, Wilfredo Vazquez Jr, Jeffrey Mthebula, Vic Darchinyan and Cesar Juarez, as well as losses to Guillermo Rigondeaux and Nicholas Walters.

Although Donaire is on the slide, and has been for a while, he is still better than most fighters and can still show touches of brilliance. That was seen in the early rounds against Juarez, with round 4 being a particularly good one from Donaire, and against Anthony Settoul, who was dominated by Donaire last year. He still carries impressive speed and power, is sharp early on and can be very dangerous, though does look like a fighter who lacks the stamina to go 12 rounds at a good pace, and has started to become a bit predictable with his dangerous left hook.

When it comes to Bedak there is very little on his record, other than his loss in 2010 to Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. That loss was in a world title fight and although Bedak showed some ability early on he did get broken down and was stopped in the 10th round. Since that loss Bedak has scored 10 successive wins, though the competition has been terrible with the most notable win of that run coming against Kenyan tough guy Nick Otieno last September.

As an amateur Bedak was very good and competed at the 2004 Olympics, scoring a notable win over Abner Mares at the Olympics, sadly though his professional career has been a frustrating one, with Bedak, or his team, happy to go along the path of least resistance. Despite that he has scarcely managed to impress and we can't see him impressing this weekend in what is a high pressure situation for the Hungarian, who knows it is now or never.

We don't want to slate world title bodies, but before we get on with our prediction we do need to make a comment in regards of the WBO who should be forced to explain how Bedak has got a world title fight and how he's managed to get a #4 ranking. The ranking is among the most inexplicable in the sport and sadly we suspect that will be shown when the men get in the ring on Saturday.

Whilst we think Donaire is coming to the end he's not a shot fighter, and he does still possess that deadly left hook. We think that will be too much for Bedak who won't see out the first half of the bout. We understand Donaire having an easy first defense, and a homecoming in the Philippines, so won't criticise him too hard given his willingness to face top fighters through his career, but the WBO deserve all the criticism they get for allowing this bout to go ahead.  

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Donaire and Walters battle in WBA unification bout!

10/14/2014

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Unification bouts in boxing are very rare and generally they are worth getting excited about. Champion Vs Champion, the best vs the best. Sadly however with the WBA having 3 titles we seem to have seen more WBA unification fights recently than real unification bouts and we see another WBA unification bout this coming Saturday as WBA Featherweight super champion Nonito Donaire (33-2, 21) attempts to unify his title with the WBA Featherweight "regular" champion Nicholas Walters (24-0, 20) in what will be the second WBA unification bout in as many days.

Of the two men in action it's Donaire who is better known due to the fact the Filipino has long been one of the stars, and cash cows, of the lower weights. The American based fighter first made his name on the back of a scintillating win over Vic Darchinyan back in 2007 and since then has gone through the divisions picking up both world titles and notable scalps, such as Fernando Montiel, Toshiaki Nishioka and Omar Andres Narvaez. The success, and power, or Donaire has seen him become a favourite of the US boxing media and although he has struggled in recent years it does seem like there is still a lot for Donaire to achieve if he can get himself up for fights, which appears to be his biggest problem.

At his best Donaire is a counter punching destroyer as she showed against Montiel and Darchinyan. Sadly however when a fighter doesn't give Donaire some pretty clear openings he has struggled, as seen in the Narvaez fight and his somewhat recent loss to Guillermo Rigondeaux. At his core Donaire is a powerful and quick counter puncher who adds an air of excitement to every bout he's involved in with fans hoping to see him detonate a bomb on his opponent. Sadly though when an opponent is an unwilling dance partner Donaire can be made to look fundamentally limited and at times lost in the ring.

As for Walters he's a hard man to get a real read on. We've only seen a handful of his bouts and although the Jamaican has serious power he also seems to be developing in terms of timing, general skills and, worryingly for Donaire, patience. In the first few fights of Walters that we've seen he looked like a slugger and offensive mindset, the sort of guy that Donaire would typically feast on with no issues due to the openings that he used to leave.

Whilst he's a big puncher Walter's also has a few tricks up his sleeve. He's willing to take the 1/2 step back, he's willing to let the other man lead and he's capable of unleashing thunder from both hands. He's one of those fighters that others don't take risks against, in fact in many way's he's a lot like a younger version of Donaire albeit a cruder version of a young Donaire. Like a young a young Donaire Walters also appears big for the weight in which he's competing, something that certainly helped the Filipino fighter move up the weight classes. That size is likely to tell here and Walters is likely to look bigger than Donaire, by quite a margin.

Donaire at his best was brilliant. His stoppages against Darchinyan and Montiel were sensational and really made him a huge star and a real pound-for-pound fighter. Sadly those performances look to be well behind him and in recent fights he has looked like a man who is missing his sparkle and confidence. He's still talented but that lack of magic and desire is the difference between a world class fighter and an elite level fighter. and that lack of magic could cost him here.

What we think will happen is that both men will fight as counter punchers and neither will be willing to open up. This will lead to a very slow but tense fight with both men believing they have the power to stop the other. They style of fight won't be great to watch for the most part but as soon as one man leads the other will answer and we will get some very exciting exchanges between the two who will be trying to counter each other. When they do exchange Donaire will have the speed edge and Walters will have the size and power edge. It's a matter of who has the chin edge as to who will come out on top here. We tend to feel the size will be the difference and help Walters take the win however if Donaire connects clean there is every chance he will stop Walters.

The only thing we know for sure here is that we are looking forward to this fight and that either man can pick up the win in what promises to be a very interesting contest even if it's unlikely to be the most exciting bout of the weekend
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Nonito Donaire meets Simpiwe Vetyeka on a Monster Macau show

5/26/2014

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Over the past year or so Top Rank and Bob Arum have made a home away from home in Macau making the most of the luxurious conditions at the amazing Cotai Arena in the Venetian Resort. The cards, which have split opinions with many fans, have been great for us as they have helped draw extra attention to some Asian fighters such as Yasutaka Ishimoto, Genesis Servania, Harmonito Dela Torre, Zou Shiming, Rex Tso and Kuok Kun Ng.

One of the few Asian fighters that American audiences are fully aware of, with out the need for a Macau showcase, is the "Filipino Flash" Nonito Donaire (32-2, 21). Donaire, once considered as a top 10 pound-for-pound fighter, is a man in a bit of a career crisis. A few years ago he was the rising star at Top Rank, the next Manny Pacquiao. He was stopping great opponents like Vic Darhcinyan and Fernando Montiel with single punches, he was looking sensational with power, speed, the ability to box from either stance and an unnerving ability to time his opponents with fantastic counter.

Since then those glory days Donaire has struggled with the likes of Omar Andres Narvaez, Wilfredo Vazquez Jr, Jeffrey Mathebula, Vic Darchinyan-in a rematch, and been defeated by Cuban sensation Guillermo Rigondeaux. He has basically gone from being a top pound-for-pound fighter to a man that many feel may be so far on the slide that he perhaps only has one or two good fights left in him.

At his best Donaire really was brilliant. He often looked untouchable with a mind blowing combination of speed and power. He was often making top fighters look like also rans and his record genuinely reads like a who's who with names like Darchinyan, Moruti Mthalane, Hernan Marquez, Montiel, Narvaez, Toshiaki Nishioka and Jorge Arce. Unfortunately however he seemed to fall in love with his power in later years, ignoring the skills that had gotten him to the top level and relying solely on counters rather than finding his own openings. He'd gone from wonder kid to frustration almost over night and has struggled to re-find the tools that made him one of the sports must watch fighters.

Unfortunately for Donaire he'll almost certainly have to find his aggressive mindset as he attempts to become a 5 weight world champion and takes on WBA Featherweight super champion Simipiwe Vetyeka (26-2, 16) who has gained a real reputation over the last year as a man who enjoys fighting Asian fighters and is a real king of upsets.

Hailing from South Africa Vetyeka has become a road warrior and fought in his first notable bout 7 years ago in Japan when he lost a decision to the then WBC Bantamweight champion Hozumi Hasegawa. That bad was a horrible clash of styles with neither man willing to open up for vast parts of the bout. From that contest however Vetyeka has learned to make the most of his ability and scored wins over Giovanni Caro, Daud Cino Yordan and, most recently, Chris John.

The victories over Yordan and John have both been played down by some fans. For some Yordan was weight drained and John was old though in all honesty they are detracting from two excellent performances that showed the different sides of Vetyeka. Against Yordan we saw Vetyeka the boxer who bounced on his toes, used the jab and allowed Yordan to eat numerous straight shots. It was a game plan designed to beat Yordan. Against John we saw Vetyeka bide his time, start slowly and then strike breaking John down in rounds 5 and 6 before forcing the stoppage. By then John looked like a broken man, he was busted to the mid section, forced to take shots upstairs and beaten into retirement.

Whilst Donaire is the favourite, and rightfully so, he's in a very, very tough contest here. He's not looked "right" in a while and although he's only lost, in recent bouts, to the excellent Rigondeaux we can actually see an upset here with Vetyeka having all the tools to beat Donaire, if not he'll certainly give Donaire a head ache.

We're expecting to see the counter punching Donaire in the ring. By it's self that's fine but against another relaxed counter puncher we think Donaire will struggle and when he opens up his defensive flaws will be taken advantage off with quick and hurtful shots from Vetyeka. Those shots will take it's toll on Donaire and make things very difficult for the Filipino who will feel what it's like to fight a real Featherweight. 

We think that whilst Donaire will start the favourite he will really struggle to hurt Vetyeka, he will struggle to land clean on Vetyeka and in the end he will just flat out struggle. We don't mean to sound harsh but we'd not be shocked if Vetyeka managed to score a third successive upset with a hard fought decision. Unfortunately we think Donaire is about done.

(Image courtesy of Toprank)

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    Akira Yaegashi Vs Javier Mendoza
    Akira Yaegashi Vs Martin Tecuapetla
    Akira Yaegashi Vs Milan Melindo
    Akira Yaegashi Vs Moruti Mthalane
    Akira Yaegashi Vs Pedro Guevara
    Alberto Guervara
    Alberto Rossel
    Alejandro Hernandez
    Alejandro Santiago Barrios
    Alexander Alexeev
    Alexander Alexeev V Yoan Pablo Hernande
    Alexander Miskirtchian
    Alexander Povetkin
    Alexis Diaz
    Amnat Ruenroeng
    Amnat Ruenroeng V Kazuto Ioka
    Amnat Ruenroeng V McWilliams Arroyo
    Amnat Ruenroeng V Rocky Fuentes
    Amnat Ruenroeng Vs Johnriel Casimero
    Amnat Ruenroeng Vs Johnriel Casimero II
    Amnat Ruenroeng Vs Myung Ho Lee
    Amnat Ruenroeng Vs Zou Shiming
    Andrzej Wawrzyk
    Andy Lee
    Angel Acosta
    Anselmo Moreno
    Antonio Nieves
    Anton Novikov
    Anton Novikov V Jessie Vargas
    Apinunm Khongsong
    Apinunm Khongsong Vs Josh Taylor
    Aran Dipaen
    ArAr Andales
    Arash Usmanee
    Argenis Mendez
    Artem Dalakian
    Artem Dalakian Vs Dennapa Kiatniwat
    Artem Dalakian Vs Sarawut Thawornkham
    Artem Dalakian Vs Yodmongkol Vor Saengthep
    Arthur Villanueva
    Arthur Villanueva Vs Mcjoe Arroyo
    Artur Beterbiev
    Artur Beterbiev Vs Oleksandr Gvozdyk
    Aston Palicte
    Atsushi Kakutani
    Axel Aragon Vega
    Azinga Fuzile
    Bantamweight
    Batyr Akhmedov
    Batyr Akhmedov Vs Mario Barrios
    Beibut Shumenov
    Beibut Shumenov V Bernard Hopkin
    Beibut Shumenov V Hamza Wandera
    Beibut Shumenov Vs BJ Flores
    Beibut Shumenov Vs Hizni Altunkaya
    Beibut Shumenov Vs Raphael Murphy
    Ben McCulloch
    Bernard Hopkins
    Billy Dib
    BJ Flores
    Blake Caparello
    Brian Viloria
    Brian Viloria Vs Artem Dalakian
    Byron Rojas
    Can Xu
    Can Xu Vs Jesus M Rojas
    Can Xu Vs Leigh Wood
    Can Xu Vs Manny Robles II
    Can Xu Vs Shun Kubo
    Carlos Buitrago
    Carlos Canizales
    Carlos Carlson
    Carlos Cuadras
    Carlos Licona
    Carlos Velarde
    Cedric Agnew
    Cesar Ramirez
    Cesar Rene Cuenca
    Charlie Edwards
    Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo
    Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo Vs Miguel Berchelt
    Chris Algieri
    Chris John
    Chris John V Simpiwe Vetyeka
    Christopher Diaz
    Craig Richards
    Cristofer Rosales
    Cruiserweight
    Cuello V Zhong
    Curtis Stevens
    Daigo Higa
    Daigo Higa Vs Cristofer Rosales
    Daigo Higa Vs Moises Fuentes
    Daigo Higa Vs Thomas Masson
    Daiki Kameda
    Daiki Kameda V Liborio Solis
    Daiki Kameda V Rodrigo Guerrero
    Danai Ngiabphukhiaw
    Daniel Geale
    Daniel Jacobs
    Daniel Martinez
    Daniel Roman
    Daniel Roman Vs Murodjon Akhmadaliev
    Daniel Roman Vs Ryo Matsumoto
    Daniel Valladares
    Danny Dignum
    Dante Jardon
    David Carmona
    David Lemieux
    Denis Lebedev
    Denis Lebedev V Guillermo Jones
    Denis Lebedev Vs Pawel Kolodziej
    Denis Shafikov
    Denkaosan Kaovichit
    Denkaosan Kaovichit V Kohei Kono
    Denkaosan Kaovichit V Nobuo Nashiro
    Dennapa Kiatniwat
    Denver Cuello
    Diego Ricardo Santillan
    Dmitry Bivol
    Dmitry Bivol Vs Craig Richards
    Dmitry Bivol Vs Felix Valera
    Dmitry Bivol Vs Isaac Chilemba
    Dmitry Bivol Vs Jean Pascal
    Dmitry Bivol Vs Joe Smith Jr
    Dmitry Bivol Vs Lenin Castillo
    Dmitry Bivol Vs Saul Alvarez
    Dmitry Bivol Vs Sullivan Barrera
    Dmitry Bivol Vs Trent Broadhurst
    Dmitry Bivol Vs Umar Salamov
    Dmitry Chudinov
    Dmitry Chudinov V Mehdi Bouadla
    Dmitry Chudinov V Patrick Nielsen
    Dmitry Sukhotsky
    Dmitry Sukhotsky Vs Adonis Stevenson
    Dominic Wade
    Donnie Nietes
    Donnie Nietes V Moises Fuentes
    Donnie Nietes V Sammy Gutierrez
    Donnie Nietes Vs Aston Palicte
    Donnie Nietes Vs Carlos Velarde
    Donnie Nietes Vs Eaktwan BTU Ruaviking
    Donnie Nietes Vs Francisco Rodriguez Jr
    Donnie Nietes Vs Gilberto Parra
    Donnie Nietes Vs Juan Alejo
    Donnie Nietes Vs Juan Carlos Reveco
    Donnie Nietes Vs Kazuto Ioka
    Donnie Nietes Vs Raul Garcia
    Downua Ruawaiking
    Downua Ruawaiking Vs Josh Taylor
    Dubai
    Duke Micah
    Eaktwan BTU Ruaviking
    Edgar Puerta
    Edgar Sosa
    Edivaldo Ortega
    Eduard Troyanovsky
    Edward Heno
    Edward Heno Vs Elwin Soto
    Elwin Soto
    Emanuele Felice Blandamura
    Emanuel Navarrete
    Emmanuel Rodriguez
    Ernesto Saulong
    Esteban Bermudez
    Evgeny Chuprakov
    Evgeny Gradovich
    Evgeny Gradovich V Billy Dib
    Evgeny Gradovich V Mauricio Javier Munoz
    Evgeny Gradovich Vs Jayson Velez
    Evgeny Graovich V Alexander Miskirtchian
    Fahlan Sakkreerin Jr
    Featherweight
    Fedor Chudinov
    Fedor Chudinov Vs Ben McCulloch
    Felipe Salguero
    Felix Alvarado
    Felix Valera
    Floyd Mayweather Jr
    Flyweight
    Foty Contender
    Francesco Pianeta
    Francisco Rodriguez Jr
    Francisco Vargas
    Fres Oquendo
    Froilan Saludar
    Ganigan Lopez
    Gary Russell Jr
    Gary Russell Jr Vs Mark Magsayo
    Genesis Servania
    Gennady Golovkin
    Gennady Golovkin
    Gennady Golovkin V Curtis Stevens
    Gennady Golovkin V Osumanu Adama
    Gennady Golovkin Vs Daniel Geale
    Gennady Golovkin Vs Daniel Jacobs
    Gennady Golovkin Vs David Lemieux
    Gennady Golovkin Vs Dominic Wade
    Gennady Golovkin Vs Kamil Szeremeta
    Gennady Golovkin Vs Kell Brook
    Gennady Golovkin Vs Marco Antonio Rubio
    Gennady Golovkin Vs Martin Murray
    Gennady Golovkin Vs Ryota Murata
    Gennady Golovkin Vs Saul Alvarez
    Gennady Golovkin Vs Saul Alvarez II
    Gennady Golovkin Vs Saul Alvarez III
    Gennady Golovkin Vs Sergiy Derevyanchenko
    Gennady Golovkin Vs Vanes Martirosyan
    Gennady Golovkin Vs Willie Monroe Jr
    Ggg
    Giemel Magramo
    Gilberto Parra
    Gilberto Pedroza
    Golovkin V Macklin
    Go Odaira
    Gregorio Lebron
    Grigory Drozd
    Guillermo Jones
    Guillermo Rigondeaux
    Guillermo Rigondeaux Vs Sod Kokietgym
    Hamza Wandera
    Hassan N'Dam N'Jikam
    Heavyweight
    Hekkie Budler
    Hidenori Otake
    Hidenori Otake Vs Isaac Dogboe
    Hidenori Otake Vs Scott Quigg
    Hirofumi Mukai
    Hiroshige Osawa
    Hiroto Kyoguchi
    Hiroto Kyoguchi Vs Axel Aragon Vega
    Hiroto Kyoguchi Vs Carlos Buitrago
    Hiroto Kyoguchi Vs Esteban Bermudez
    Hiroto Kyoguchi Vs Hekkie Budler
    Hiroto Kyoguchi Vs Satanmuanglek CP Freshmart
    Hiroto Kyoguchi Vs Tetsuya Hisada
    Hiroto Kyoguchi Vs Thanongsak Simsri
    Hiroto Kyoguchi Vs Vince Paras
    Hiroyuki Hisataka
    Hisashi Amagasa
    Hisashi Amagasa Vs Guillermo Rigondeaux
    Hizni Altunkaya
    Hozumi Hasegawa
    Hozumi Hasegawa Vs Hugo Ruiz
    Hugo Ruiz
    Ibf
    IBF Bantamweight
    Ibf Cruiserweight
    Ibf Featherweight
    Ibf Flyweight
    Ibf Flyweight
    Ibf Heavyweight
    Ibf Interim Super Bantamweight
    Ibf Light Flyweight
    IBF Light Heavyweight
    Ibf Lightweight
    IBF Light Welterweight
    Ibf Middleweight
    Ibf Minimumweight
    Ibf Super Bantamweight
    Ibf Super Featherweight
    Ibf Super Flyweight
    IBF Super Middleweight
    Ibf Wba Unification
    Ik Yang
    Ik Yang Vs Cesar Rene Cuenca
    Immanuel Naidjala
    Interim WBO Super Featherweight
    Inthanon Sithchamuang
    Iran Diaz
    Isaac Chilemba
    Isaac Dogboe
    Israel Gonzalez
    Israel Hector Enrique Perez
    Jaider Parra
    Jaime Munguia
    Jamel Herring
    Jamie Conlan
    Jamie McDonnell
    Janibek Alimkhanuly
    Janibek Alimkhanuly Vs Danny Dignum
    Jason Moloney
    Javier Mendoza
    Javier Prieto
    Jayson Mama
    Jayson Velez
    Jean Pascal
    Jean Piero Perez
    Jeff Horn
    Jeffrey Galero
    Jeo Santisima
    Jeo Santisima Vs Emanuel Navarrete
    Jerry Tomogdan
    Jerwin Ancajas
    Jerwin Ancajas Vs Alejandro Santiago Barrios
    Jerwin Ancajas Vs Daniel Martinez
    Jerwin Ancajas Vs Daniel Martinez II
    Jerwin Ancajas Vs Israel Gonzalez
    Jerwin Ancajas Vs Jamie Conlan
    Jerwin Ancajas Vs Jonas Sultan
    Jerwin Ancajas Vs Jonathan Javier Rodriguez
    Jerwin Ancajas Vs Jose Alfredo Rodriguez
    Jerwin Ancajas Vs McJoe Arroyo
    Jerwin Ancajas Vs Miguel Gonzalez
    Jerwin Ancajas Vs Ryuichi Funai
    Jerwin Ancajas Vs Teiru Kinoshita
    Jesse Rodriguez
    Jessie Magdaleno
    Jessie Vargas
    Jesus M Rojas
    Jesus Silvestre
    Jetro Pabustan
    Jeyvier Cintron
    Jezreel Corrales
    Jhack Tepora
    Jhack Tepora Vs Edivaldo Ortega
    Jhack Tepora Vs Hugo Ruiz
    Joe Cordina
    Joe Smith Jr
    John Mark Apolinario
    Johnriel Casimero
    Johnriel Casimero Vs Cesar Ramirez
    Johnriel Casimero Vs Charlie Edwards
    Johnriel Casimero Vs Duke Micah
    Johnriel Casimero Vs Guillermo Rigondeaux
    Johnriel Casimero Vs Paul Butler
    Johnriel Casimero Vs Zolani Tete
    Jomthong Chuwatana
    Jonas Sultan
    Jonathan Gonzalez
    Jonathan Gonzalez Vs Mark Anthony Barriga
    Jonathan Guzman
    Jonathan Javier Rodriguez
    Jonathan Taconing
    Jonathan Taconing Vs Ganigan Lopez
    Jorge Linares
    Jorge Linares Vs Javier Prieto
    Jorge Linares Vs Mercito Gesta
    Jorle Estrada
    Jose Alfredo Rodriguez
    Jose Argumedo
    Jose Argumedo Vs Hiroto Kyoguchi
    Jose Nieves
    Joseph Diaz
    Jose Velasquez
    Josh Taylor
    Juan Alejo
    Juan Carlos Payano
    Juan Carlos Reveco
    Juan Francisco Estrada
    Juan Francisco Estrada V Milan Melindo
    Juan Francisco Estrada V Richie Mepranum
    Juan Francisco Estrada Vs Rommel Asenjo
    Juan Hernandez Navarrete
    Juan Hernandez Navarrete Vs Daigo Higa
    Juan Jose Landaeta
    Juan Miguel Elorde
    Juan Miguel Elorde Vs Emanuel Navarrete
    Julian Yedras
    Jung Oh Son
    Junto Nakatani
    Junto Nakatani Vs Angel Acosta
    Junto Nakatani Vs Giemel Magramo
    Junto Nakatani Vs Ryota Yamauchi
    Kai Ishizawa
    Kamil Szeremeta
    Katsunari Takayama
    Katsunari Takayama V Francisco Rodriguez Jr
    Katsunari Takayama Vs Elwin Soto
    Katsunari Takayama Vs Fahlan Sakkreerin Jr
    Katsunari Takayama Vs Go Odaira
    Katsunari Takayama V Shin Ono
    Katsunari Takayama Vs Jose Argumedo
    Katsunari Takayama Vs Riku Kano
    Katsunari Takayama Vs Ryuji Hara
    Katsunari Takayama V Vergilio Silvano
    Kazuto Ioka
    Kazuto Ioka V Felix Alvarado
    Kazuto Ioka V Francisco Rodriguez Jr
    Kazuto Ioka V Kwanthai Sithmorseng
    Kazuto Ioka Vs Aston Palicte
    Kazuto Ioka Vs Donnie Nietes II
    Kazuto Ioka Vs Jeyvier Cintron
    Kazuto Ioka Vs Juan Carlos Reveco II
    Kazuto Ioka Vs Keyvin Lara
    Kazuto Ioka Vs Kosei Tanaka
    Kazuto Ioka Vs Noknoi Sitthiprasert
    Kazuto Ioka Vs Roberto Domingo Sosa
    Kazuto Ioka Vs Ryoji Fukunaga
    Kazuto Ioka Vs Stamp Kiatniwat
    Kazuto Ioka V Wisanu Kokietgym
    Keita Obara
    Keita Obara Vs Eduard Troyanovsky
    Keith Thurman
    Kell Brook
    Kenichi Ogawa
    Kenichi Ogawa Vs Azinga Fuzile
    Kenichi Ogawa Vs Joe Cordina
    Kenichi Ogawa Vs Tevin Farmer
    Kenshiro
    Ken Shiro
    Kenshiro Teraji
    Kenshiro Teraji Vs Masamichi Yabuki
    Kenshiro Teraji Vs Randy Petalcorin
    Kenshiro Teraji Vs Tetsuya Hisada
    Ken Shiro Vs Ganigan Lopez
    Ken Shiro Vs Ganigan Lopez II
    Ken Shiro Vs Gilberto Pedroza
    Kenshiro Vs Jonathan Taconing
    Kenshiro Vs Milan Melindo
    Ken Shiro Vs Pedro Guevara
    Kenshiro Vs Randy Petalcorin
    Kenshiro Vs Saul Juarez
    Keyvin Lara
    Khabib Allakhverdiev
    Khabib Allakhverdiev V Jessie Vargas
    Khabib Allakhverdiev V Souleymane M'baye
    Khalid Yafai
    Khalid Yafai Vs Sho Ishida
    Khalid Yafai Vs Suguru Muranaka
    Kiko Martinez
    Kiko Martinez V Hozumi Hasegawa
    Kiryl Relikh
    Kiryl Relikh Vs Eduard Troyanovsky
    Kki Kameda V John Mark Apolinario
    KnockKnockout CP Freshmart
    Knockout CP Freshmart
    Knockout CP Freshmart Vs Alexis Diaz
    Knockout CP Freshmart Vs ArAr Andales
    Knockout CP Freshmart Vs Byron Rojas
    Knockout CP Freshmart Vs Byron Rojas II
    Knockout-cp-freshmart-vs-carlos-buitrago
    Knockout CP Freshmart Vs Carlos Buitrago II
    Knockout CP Freshmart Vs Go Odaira
    Knockout CP Freshmart Vs Muhammad Rachman
    Knockout CP Freshmart Vs Norihito Tanaka
    Knockout CP Freshmart Vs Pongsaklek Sithdabnij
    Knockout CP Freshmart Vs Rey Loreto
    Knockout CP Freshmart Vs Robert Paradero
    Knockout CP Freshmart Vs Shin Ono
    Knockout CP Freshmart Vs Toto Landero
    Knockout CP Freshmart Vs Wanheng Menayothin
    Knockout CP Freshmart Vs Xiong Zhao Zhong
    Ko Dynamite
    Kohei Kono
    Kohei Kono Vs Inthanon Sithchamuang
    Kohei Kono Vs Koki Kameda
    Kohei Kono Vs Luis Concepcion
    Kohei Kono Vs Norberto Jimenez
    Koki Eto
    Koki Eto Vs Carlos Cuadras
    Koki Eto V Yodmongkol Vor Saengthep
    Koki Kameda
    Koki Kameda V Jung Oh Son
    Kompayak Porpramook
    Kompayak Porpramook V Koki Eto
    Kosei Tanaka
    Kosei Tanaka Vs Angel Acosta
    Kosei Tanaka Vs Jonathan Gonzalez
    Kosei Tanaka Vs Julian Yedras
    Kosei Tanaka Vs Moises Fuentes
    Kosei Tanaka Vs Palangpol CP Freshmart
    Kosei Tanaka Vs Ryoichi Taguchi
    Kosei Tanaka Vs Vic Saludar
    Kosei Tanaka Vs Wulan Tuolehazi
    Krzysztof Wlodarczyk
    Krzysztof Wlodarczyk Vs Grigory Drozd
    Kwanpichit OnesongchaiGym
    Kwanthai Sithmorseng
    Lebedev V Jones
    Lee Haksins
    Leigh Wood
    Lenin Castillo
    Leroy Estrada
    Liborio Solis
    Light Flyweight
    Light Heavyweight
    Light Middleweight
    Lightweight
    Light Welterweight
    Lookrak Kiatmungmee
    Lu Bin
    Lu Bin Vs Carlos Canizales
    Lucas Browne
    Lucas Martin Matthysse
    Luis Concepcion
    Luis De La Rosa
    Luis Nery
    Maksim Vlasov
    Maksim Vlasov Vs Joe Smith Jr
    Manny Pacquiao
    Manny Pacquiao Vs Adrien Broner
    Manny Pacquiao Vs Chris Algieri
    Manny Pacquiao Vs Floyd Mayweather Jr
    Manny Pacquiao Vs Jeff Horn
    Manny Pacquiao Vs Jessie Vargas
    Manny Pacquiao Vs Keith Thurman
    Manny Pacquiao Vs Lucas Martin Matthysse
    Manny Pacquiao Vs Yordenis Ugas
    Manny Pacquiao V Timothy Bradley II
    Manny Robles II
    Marco Antonio Rubio
    Mario Barrios
    Mark Anthony Barriga
    Mark Anthony Barriga Vs Carlos Licona
    Mark Magsayo
    Mark Magsayo Vs Rey Vargas
    Marlon Tapales
    Marlon Tapales Vs Ryosuke Iwasa
    Marlon Tapales Vs Shohei Omori
    Martin Murray
    Martin Tecuapetla
    Marvin Mabait
    Marvin Mabait Vs Carlos Cuadras
    Masahiro Sakamoto
    Masamichi Yabuki
    Masamichi Yabuki Vs Kenshiro Yabuki II
    Masataka Taniguchi
    Masataka Taniguchi Vs Kai Ishizawa
    Masataka Taniguchi Vs Wilfredo Mendez
    Masayuki Ito
    Masayuki Ito Vs Christopher Diaz
    Masayuki Ito Vs Evgeny Chuprakov
    Masayuki Ito Vs Jamel Herring
    Masayuki Kuroda
    Matthew Macklin
    Matt Korobov
    Matt Korobov Vs Andy Lee
    Mauricio Javier Munoz
    Ma Yi Ming
    McJoe Arroyo
    McWilliams Arroyo
    Mehdi Bouadla
    Melvin Jerusalem
    Mercito Gesta
    Merlito Sabillo
    Merlito Sabillo V Carlos Buitrago
    Merlito Sabillo V Francisco Rodriguez Jr
    Merlito Sabillo V Jorle Estrada
    Michael Dasmarinas
    Middleweight
    Miguel Berchelt
    Miguel Berchelt Vs Takashi Miura
    Miguel Cotto
    Miguel Gonzalez
    Miguel Vazquez
    Miguel-vazquez-v-denis-shafikov
    Mika Alvarado V Ruslan Provodnikov
    Mike Alvarado
    Mikey Garcia
    Milan Melindo
    Milan Melindo Vs Fahlan Sakkreerin Jr
    Milan Melindo Vs Hekkie Budler
    Milan Melindo Vs Javier Mendoza
    Minimumweight
    Moises Calleros
    Moises Fuentes
    Moruti Mthalane
    Moruti Mthalane Vs Jayson Mama
    Moruti Mthalane Vs Masahiro Sakamoto
    Moruti Mthalane Vs Masayuki Kuroda
    Muhammad Rachman
    Muhammad Waseem
    Muhammad Waseem Vs Moruti Mthalane
    Murodjon Akhmadaliev
    Murodjon Akhmadaliev Vs Jose Velasquez
    Murodjon Akhmadaliev Vs Ronny Rios
    Murodjon Akhmadaliev Vs Ryosuke Iwasa
    Myung Ho Lee
    Naoya Inoue
    Naoya Inoue V Samartlek Kokietgym
    Naoya Inoue Vs Antonio Nieves
    Naoya Inoue Vs Aran Dipaen
    Naoya Inoue Vs David Carmona
    Naoya Inoue Vs Emmanuel Rodriguez
    Naoya Inoue Vs Jamie McDonnell
    Naoya Inoue Vs Jason Moloney
    Naoya Inoue Vs Juan Carlos Payano
    Naoya Inoue Vs Kohei Kono
    Naoya Inoue Vs Michael Dasmarinas
    Naoya Inoue Vs Nonito Donaire
    Naoya Inoue Vs Nonito Donaire II
    Naoya Inoue Vs Omar Andres Narvaez
    Naoya Inoue Vs Petchbarngborn Kokietgym
    Naoya Inoue Vs Ricardo Rodriguez
    Naoya Inoue Vs Warlito Parrenas
    Naoya Inoue Vs Yoan Boyeaux
    Nathan Cleverly
    Nathan Cleverly V Sergey Kovalev
    Nawaphon Por Chokchai
    Nawaphon Por Chokchai Vs Juan Hernandez Navarrete
    Nehomar Cermeno
    Nicholas Walters
    Nihito Arakawa
    Nihito Arakawa V Omar Figueroa
    Nobuo Nashiro
    Noknoi Sitthiprasert
    Nonito Donaire
    Nonito-donaire-v-simipiwe-vetyeka
    Nonito Donaire Vs Jessie Magdaleno
    Nonito Donaire Vs Nicholas Walters
    Nonito Donaire Vs Nordine Oubaali
    Nonito Donaire Vs Reymart Gaballo
    Nonito Donaire Vs Ryan Burnett
    Nonito Donaire Vs Zolani Tete
    Nonito Donaire Vs Zsolt Bedak
    Nop Kratingdaenggym
    Nop Kratingdaenggym Vs Nehomar Cermeno
    Norberto Jimenez
    Nordine Oubaali
    Nordine Oubaali Vs Arthur Villanueva
    Norihito Tanaka
    Odilon-zaleta
    Oleksandr Gvozdyk
    Oliver Flores
    Omar Andres Narvaez
    Omar Andres Narvaez V Hiroyuki Hisataka
    Omar Figueroa
    Omari Kimweri
    Orlando Salido
    Oscar Blanquet
    Oscar Valdez
    Oscar Valdez Vs Genesis Servania
    Oscar Valdez Vs Hiroshige Osawa
    Osumanu-adama
    Oswaldo Novoa
    Palangpol CP Freshmart
    Panya Pradabsri
    Panya Pradabsri Vs Danai Ngiabphukhiaw
    Panya Pradabsri Vs Norihito Tanaka
    Patrick-nielsen
    Paul Butler
    Paulus Ambunda
    Paulus Ambunda V Tomoki Kameda
    Pawel Kolodziej
    Pedro Guevara
    Pedro Taduran
    Pedro Taduran Vs Daniel Valladares
    Pedro Taduran Vs Rene Mark Cuarto
    Petchbarngborn Kokietgym
    Petch Sor Chitpattana
    Petch Sor Chitpattana Vs Takuma Inoue
    Pigmy-kokietgym
    Pigmy-kokietgym-v-hekkie-budler
    Pongsaklek Sithdabnij
    Porpramook V Perez
    Povetkin V Wawrzyk
    Pungluang Sor Singyu
    Pungluang Sor Singyu Vs Jetro Pabustan
    Pungluang Sor Singyu Vs Marlon Tapales
    Qiu Xiao Jun
    Qiu Xiao Jun Vs Nehomar Cermeno
    Qiu Xiao Jun Vs Nehomar Cermeno II
    Rakhim Chakhkiev
    Randy Petalcorin
    Randy Petalcorin Vs Felix Alvarado
    Randy Petalcorin Vs Ma Yi Ming
    Randy Petalcorin Vs Walter Tello
    Raphael Murphy
    Raul Garcia
    Raushee Warren
    Raymundo Beltran
    Regular
    Reiya Konishi
    Reiya Konishi Vs Carlos Canizales
    Reiya Konishi Vs Felix Alvarado
    Rene Mark Cuarto
    Rene Mark Cuarto Vs Daniel Valladares
    Rene Mark Cuarto Vs Pedro Taduran II
    Rey Loreto
    Reymart Gaballo
    Reymart Gaballo Vs Emmanuel Rodriguez
    Rey Vargas
    Rey Vargas Vs Tomoki Kameda
    Ricardo Rodriguez
    Richar Abril
    Richar Abril V Jorge Linares
    Richard Claveras
    Richard Claveras Vs Pedro Guevara
    Richie Mepranum
    Richie Mepranum Vs Carlos Cuadras
    Riku Kano
    Ring
    Ring Magazine
    Rob Brant
    Robert Barrera
    Roberto Domingo Sosa
    Robert Paradero
    Robert Stieglitz
    Robert Stieglitz V Yuzo Kiyota
    Rocky Fuentes
    Rodrigo Guerrero
    Roman Gonzalez
    Roman Gonzalez Vs Brian Viloria
    Roman Gonzalez Vs Rocky Fuentes
    Roman Gonzalez Vs Srisaket Sor Rungvisai
    Rommel Asenjo
    Ronny Rios
    Ruslan Chagaev
    Ruslan-chagaev-v-fres-oquendo
    Ruslan Chagaev Vs Francesco Pianeta
    Ruslan Chagaev Vs Lucas Browne
    Ruslan Provodnikov
    Ruslan-provodnikov-v-chris-algieri
    Ryad Merhy
    Ryad Merhy Vs Zhaoxin Zhang
    Ryan Burnett
    Ryo Akaho
    Ryo Akaho Vs Pungluang Sor Singyu
    Ryohei Takahashi
    Ryohei Takahashi Vs TJ Doheny
    Ryoichi Taguchi
    Ryoichi Taguchi Vs Alberto Rossel
    Ryoichi Taguchi Vs Carlos Canizales
    Ryoichi Taguchi Vs Hekkie Budler
    Ryoichi Taguchi Vs Juan Jose Landaeta
    Ryoichi Taguchi Vs Kwanthai Sithmorseng
    Ryoichi Taguchi Vs Luis De La Rosa
    Ryoichi Taguchi Vs Milan Melindo
    Ryoichi Taguchi Vs Robert Barrera
    Ryoichi Taguchi Vs Ryo Miyazaki
    Ryoji Fukunaga
    Ryo Matsumoto
    Ryo Miyazaki
    Ryo Miyazaki V Carlos Velarde
    Ryo Miyazaki V Jesus Silvestre
    Ryosuke Iwasa
    Ryosuke Iwasa Vs Ernesto Saulong
    Ryosuke Iwasa Vs Lee Haskins
    Ryosuke Iwasa Vs TJ Doheny
    Ryota Murata
    Ryota Murata Vs Emanuele Felice Blandamura
    Ryota Murata Vs Hassan N'Dam N'Jikam
    Ryota Murata Vs Hassan N'Dam N'Jikam II
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