There’s promise of a great theater
FIGHT promoter Top Rank has made mention of Nicholas Walters, 24-0 (20 KOs) having stopped 10 of his last 11 opponents. That cooly projected the Jamaican WBA featherweight king to be a very fearsome warrior.
His unbeaten record has suggested Walters, 28, could also be invulnerable; although Jack Donavan of BoxingScene.com did note that Walters had been floored at least twice earlier in his career.
On the other hand, Nonito Donaire Jr. of the Philippines, 33-2 (21 KOs) headed for today’s championship in Carson, California, a slight underdog.
* * *
Reason: Unlike Walters, Donaire, 31, has not been particularly impressive in his last three outings, having been mangled by the Cuban speed demon Guillermo Rigondeaux in April 2013, before submitting two uneven wins over Vic Darchinyan and lineal WBA featherweight champion Simpiwe Vetyeka earlier this year.
There were actually those who felt Walters could blast off Donaire with his beastly power and overriding stamina.
But the more astute observers believe stopping Donaire would be easier said than done, considering the warrior called the Filipino Flash also owns a certified lethal weapon in his fabled left hook.
* * *
Despite two glitches in his record, Donaire has never been floored, although he had been visibly shaken a few times in his stellar career.
Donaire, definitely quicker than the bigger and younger Jamaican champion, also has the better skills, backed by a vast experience.
Walters has vowed to be doubly menacing, while Donaire has been claiming he has trained rigorously, unlike before, to regain original smart killer form.
This is a fight Donaire can’t afford to drop, otherwise he could slip totally out of the boxing radar for elite boxers.
* * *
In short, Donaire can only be expected to surpass himself.
Quite aptly, the championship has been rated a toss-up by many experts on the eve of the fight.
The fight could go either way, but the clearer view is the promise of a great boxing theater.
It’s not every other week that you get to watch a fight of this very intriguing sort.
* * *
(NATIONAL WISH: Mouthing the prayer of many Filipino fans, seasoned spectator Joseph Dumuk of Bauang, La Union, says a win by Donaire should help immensely in uplifting the spirits of Filipinos: “Sana magandang panalo ang maipakita ni Nonito upang makabawi nang kahit kaunti ang mga Pilipino sa sunod-sunod na pagkalaspag ng Pilipinas hindi lang sa sports kundi sa maraming aspeto ng buhay.”)
