Donaire KO over Arce wows ‘em

Nonito Donaire, left, hits Jorge Arce during their WBO junior featherweight title boxing match Saturday, Dec. 15, 2012, in Houston. Donaire knocked Arce out in the third round. AP Photo/David J. Phillip

HOUSTON, Texas—For revered promoter Bob Arum, finding the next opponent for Nonito Donaire Jr. might entail lengthy negotiations, or draw flimsy excuses.

Donaire made his third-round stoppage of four-division world champion and future Hall of Famer Jorge Arce look so easy Saturday night that Arum said the other elite fighters in the 122-pound class should now have second thoughts battling “The Filipino Flash.”

That’s because Donaire, according to Arum, is a rare combination of talent, craftmanship and power.

While Donaire’s left is his main weapon, he has shown that he can also knock out foes with his right, just as he did to Japanese Toshiaki Nishioka in the ninth round earlier this year.

Pundits said Donaire as well can be a technical fighter, one who is able to engage foes in a battle of wits and strategies before sneaking in those one-punch dynamites similar to what he delivered against Vic Darchinyan in 2007 and Fernando Montiel in February last year.

Those pair of stoppages earned him Knockout of the Year honors.

The left hook Donaire threw against Arce is said to be similar to what stopped Montiel.

Though he threw only 93 punches as against Arce’s 96, Donaire landed 28. Arce connected just 13.

The difference in accuracy was even more apparent in jabs thrown as Donaire landed eight of 43 and Arce just two of 47.

They were almost equal on heavy punches with Donaire firing 50 and Arce 49. Donaire landed more with 20 as against Arce’s 11.

Arum said while a fight between Donaire and WBC super bantam champion Abner Mares would have been ideal, it is unlikely to happen soon. Mares has a mandatory title defense coming up and belongs to Golden Boy Promotions, Top Rank’s chief rival.

Arum is inclined on giving WBA titlist Guillermo Rigondeaux, whom he also promotes, a crack at Donaire, probably in March.

After seeing Donaire’s demolition of Arce, chief trainer Robert Garcia believes his ward has no equal in the super bantam class.

“His power was unreal, he was spectacular,” said Garcia. “Wherever he hits you—shoulder, head—it doesn’t matter. It hurts real bad.”