Uncle Bob ‘did not protect’ Donaire

“I saw a lot of people have success handed to them that then exploited it. They didn't protect it or cherish it.” Aaron Paul

By Alex P. Vidal

Was Nonito Donaire Jr. fed to the lion?

It appears now that Manny Pacquiao is the only fighter in the world who enjoys “protection” from Bob Arum.

Since 2003, the wily but genius American promoter pampered Pacquiao with an assorted list of “falling stars” to ensure his dominance in prizefighting.

These “falling stars” that included Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Antonio Margarito, Shane Mosley and Oscar De La Hoya, used to be the biggest marquee names when Pacquiao was only a skinny flyweight oriental champion in the early 90s, and had no idea that in the future, he would invade the Land of Milk and Honey and cement his greatness at their expense.

No doubt Pacquiao is the best in the world, but it would have been a different scenario in the glitzy Las Vegas if Arum arranged Pacquiao’s showdowns with these hard-hitting gladiators during their prime.

With Uncle Bob’s protection, Pacquiao, now a congressman and a PBA playing coach to boot, walked his way to astonishing multi-million dollar contracts interrupted only in 2012 by a pair of back to back losses to Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez.

CO-PROMOTER

As the co-promoter of the Nicholas Walters vs Nonito Donaire Jr. battle for the WBA super-featherweight championship in Carson, California on October 18 (October 19 in the Philippines), Arum knew Donaire was facing a younger, hungrier and deadlier undefeated foe with a 115 KO percentage.

But Arum did not oppose Walters.

At 28, Walters, known as “The Axe Man”, is at the prime of his career.

With a quickness of Sugar Ray Leonard, a stance of Thomas Hearns and a force of Marvin Hagler, Walters (25-0, 21 KOs) could smash into pieces opponents with iron Halloween masks.

Donaire, who made waves in the 118-lb during his 20s, is three years older and is a visitor in the 128-lb division despite his win against featherweight Simpiwe Vetyeka in Macao, China on May 31 this year.

Like junior lightweight terror Flash Elorde, who capitulated twice in as many encounters versus lightweight monarch Carlos Ortiz in the 60s, Donaire looked like a police trainee swapping feathers against a military platoon leader in the heavier weight class.

ALLOW

Arum would never allow Pacquiao to face Mosley and De La Hoya when the two hard-hitting American ring titans weren’t yet semi-retired or over the hill.

Except for senior citizens Jorge Arce, Vic Darchinyan, and Guillermo Rigondeaux, most of Donaire’s rivals in his last 10 fights were below 30s and were active ring tacticians and executioners: Fernando Montiel, Volodymyr Sydorenko, Omar Andres Narvaez, Wilfredo Vasquez Jr., Jeffrey Mathebula, Vetyeka, and Toshiaki Nishioka.

Either Arum, CEO of Top Rank, wanted to “punish” the prodigal son Donaire for abandoning America’s most influential promoter in 2011 for rival Golden Boy Promotion, or Arum wanted to give Donaire a “graceful exit” since 10 fights ago?

Although Donaire (33-3, 21 KOs) managed to clobber those high caliber pugilists one after another, his efforts were Pyrrhic.

STRUGGLE

The culmination of Donaire’s hard struggle to walk past those dangerous opponents was the 6^th round destruction from the hands of the flamboyant Walters.

Donaire did nothing wrong in the ring. He was superb, brimming with confidence and throwing punches effectively.

But he was simply outclassed, out-muscled and out-dueled by a superior fighter from Jamaica.

One thing’s for sure. Arum did not “protect” Donaire the way he protected Pacquiao.  

Let’s see how will Arum reinvent Donaire after the Walters debacle.

Let’s see how will Arum revive The Filipino Flash’s career from the ashes of The Axe Man annihilation.

Only then can we conclude if indeed Donaire was fed to the lion.

Donaire vs Walters, a repeat of Duran vs Leonard Part I?

“Boxing's a poor man's sport. We can't afford to play golf or tennis. It is what it is. It's kept so many kids off the street. It kept me off the street.” Sugar Ray Leonard

By Alex P. Vidal

EXPERTS were divided and could not predict accurately who would win between Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran in the 15-round battle for the WBC welterweight championship in Montreal, Quebec on June 20, 1980.

Both Leonard, a 1976 Montreal Olympics gold medalist, and Duran, known as “manos de piedra” or hands of stone, were unbeaten and the most popular welterweights in the world in that era.

Leonard, Duran, Thomas “The Hitman” Hearns, and Marvelous Marvin Hagler were known at that time as “The Fabulous Four” of boxing.

Before the bout, Leonard had an impressive record of 27 wins.

Only nine of his opponents survived the distance.

Duran paraded a menacing 28-0 record with 18 stoppages.

Owing to Leonard’s Olympics reputation, Duran was installed a slight underdog.

But Duran (103-16, 70 KOs final record) shocked the world when he dethroned defending champion Leonard (36-3, 25 KOs final record) by unanimous decision.

In a rematch on Nov. 25, 1980 in New Orleans, Louisiana, the Panamian visitor registered one of the most mysterious twists in fight history with his “no mas, no mas” or no more no more surrender in the 8^th canto.

FEATHERWEIGHT

The fight between Nonito Donaire Jr and Nicholas Walters for WBA super-featherweight tiara in Carson, California on October 18, has the making of the first Duran vs Leonard showdown.

Like Duran, Donaire (33-2, 21 KOs), being the challenger, is slightly the underdog in betting.  

Flamboyant defending champion Walters (24-0, 20 KOs), born and based in Montego Bay, Jamaica, is being regarded as the new Sugar Ray Leonard.

Walters stands five feet and seven inches and is fresh from a 5^th round one-punch disposal win against Vic Darchinyan on May 31, 2014 in Macau, China.

Walters’ win over Darchinyan (39-7, 28 KOs) was his fourth straight knockout victory since winning by unanimous decision against Hector Javier Marquez in Colon City, Panama on March 31, 2012, and third title defense.

It is Ring Magazine’s candidate for knockout of the year.

Darchinyan bravely engaged the taller Walters in a torrid slugfest from the opening round until he was zapped by a tomahawk right that turned his legs into spaghetti.

Walters finished him off with a wicked straight to the chin in a clinical precision that impressed boxing scholars watching at ringside.

Darchinyan’s final fall did not need the referee’s mandatory count.  

INFLICT

Donaire, incidentally inflicted Darchinyan’s two other KO losses, but it was Walter’s destruction of Darchinyan that made headlines.

So bad was Darchinyan’s fall that supporters and experts called for his immediate retirement.

Thus Darchinyan became the common denominator between “The Filipino Flash” and “The Axe Man.”

Walters, 28, earned “The Axe Man” moniker because all his KO victims collapsed like they were pummeled by a forest ax like what happened to Darchinyan.

The Jamaican terror is expected to use his height advantage and lateral movement ala Sugar Ray to befuddle Donaire, born in Bohol, Philippines and raised in San Leandro, California.

Thirty four-year-old Guillermo Rigondeaux (14-0, 9 KOs) soundly defeated Donaire for WBO super-bantamweight and WBA super-bantamweight crowns in New York on April 13, 2014.

Donaire could not catch the fast-moving and slick-punching Cuban, who used his vast experience as a former Olympics champion, to humiliate the Philippines’ most popular ring heartthrob next to Manny Pacquiao.

COMBINATION

If Donaire, 31, can’t nail Walters with the same combination he used when he tortured abrasive Mexican Jorce Arce en route to a 3^rd round KO for WBO super-bantamweight belt in Houston, Texas on December 15, 2012, the Fil-Am fighter might blow away a chance to pocket the WBA super-world featherweight jewels.

Walters, however, has not met a world champion in Donaire’s caliber despite his unblemished record.

Donaire, an orthodox like Walters, is a deadly counter puncher.

He attacks with both fists over his head exposing his body, which he actually uses as bait.

Once the enemy diverts his attention from head to the body and targets the breadbasket, Donaire uncorks a flash counter punch to the face followed by a left cross.

The same tactic he used when he brutally drilled former world champion Fernando Montiel in the second round for the WBO and WBC bantamweight titles in Las Vegas on February 19, 2011.

Why 49-46 for Donaire if the fight ended in 4th?

“A good decision is based on knowledge and not on numbers.”

PLATO

By Alex P. Vidal

Our former buddy in the Rotary Club, Frank Atas, called me several minutes after the ring announcer declared Nonito Donaire Jr. winner by 4^th round technical decision over WBA featherweight “super” champion Simpiwe “V12″ Vetyeka (26-3, 15 KOs) on Saturday at the Cotai Arena, Venetian Resort, Macao, China.

“Lex, if Donaire won on a 4^th round technical decision, why is it that the scores of all the three judges were 49-46? Why not 39-36?” Atas asked. “The reason why I called is because I wanted to know if they changed the rules of professional boxing.”

Atas, a former boxer and ring official before he became a member of the Philippine Constabulary in the 70s, was partly right. In a 10-point must system, four times 10 equals 40. Since it was ruled as a “4^th round technical decision” win for 31-year-old Donaire, the scores should have been 39-36 if the Fil-Am challenger lost only in one of the four rounds.

DEFICIT

The four-point deficit on Vetyeka’s scorecard meant he lost in two of the four rounds and was deducted one point each for every headbutt inflicted on Donaire’s left eye.

Logically, 49-46 means Donaire and Vetyeka were swapping bombs in the fifth round when Puerto Rican referee Luis Pabon called it a night. But this wasn’t the case.

After fourth round or before the start of fifth round, Donaire (33-2, 21 KOs) informed Pabon he could no longer continue due to the nasty cut on his left eye and the blood bothered him in the last nine minutes. Pabon then ordered the three judges to score the next round under the WBA rules thus they all gave each boxer 10 points. The wisdom of awarding 10 points to both ring titans hinges on the numerical fact that a 39-36 score means the fight was terminated below four rounds.  

Under the universal rules, Vetyeka could retain the title if the stoppage happened in the first three rounds or before the fourth round by technical draw. Donaire was very much aware of this from the very first drop of blood on his cut. Tactically, to survive four rounds could be the last ace in his sleeves that very moment knowing he was way ahead on points courtesy of a flash knockdown in the fourth canto.

CONTROVERSY

A post-fight controversy smeared Donaire’s collection of his fourth world crown in different weight categories when sportswriters watching the fight at ringside claimed the headbutts were actually legitimate punches. The referee had supposedly erred to declare an “accidental headbutt” because Donaire was hit by a legal blow, according to several sports scribes.

If Donaire’s wound was caused by a legitimate punch, Vetyeka should have been declared winner by technical knockout (TKO) before or after the fourth round.

A defending champion who loses his title under an ugly turn of event like this one usually would be the most loquacious and hot tempered. But not Vetyeka, who gamely accepted his fate. 

In fairness to Team Vetyeka, the vanquished African champion deserves a rematch.

Donaire’s not-so-sweet victory in sweet science

Donaire’s not-so-sweet

victory in sweet science

“Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment, full effort is full victory.”

Mahatma Gandhi

By Alex P. Vidal

Boxing is Sweet Science. If the victory of a ring superstar isn’t sweet, it’s no big deal as long as an explosive fisticuffs governed by the Marquees of Queensberry rules happened.

Nonita “Flash” Donaire Jr.’s (33-2, 21 KOs) 4th round technical decision win over WBA featherweight “super” champion Simpiwe “V12″ Vetyeka (26-3, 15 KOs) on Saturday at the Cotai Arena, Venetian Resort, Macao, China was far from sweet, but it gave him his fourth world title in different divisions.

Donaire had won world titles at flyweight (112 lbs), bantamweight (118 lbs) and super-bantamweight (122 lbs) in the previous years.

END

The fight could have ended in a knockout in the later rounds for the Fil-Am challenger had it not been for the two successive accidental headbutts in rounds one and two, which opened a nasty cut over Donaire’s left eye.

The wound interrupted Donaire’s savagery for a few moments thus allowing Vetyeka to throw caution in the wind.

Donaire tried to finish off the African champion after scoring a knockdown with a left hook in the fourth, the round where slick-moving Vetyeka tried to launch a desperate kamikaze attack.

Earlier in round three, Donaire put pressures on the champion with dizzying hooks and crisp jabs which landed with explosive accuracy. 

TERMINATE

Puerto Rican referee Luis Pabon had to terminate the bout on advice of ring physician after four rounds thus Donaire wasn’t able to floor Vetyeka anew for good.

If the bout was halted before the fourth, Vetyeka would have retained his title via technical draw. Team Vetyeka wouldn’t mind losing round three for another headbutt provided that the fight was stopped before fourth so he could retain his crown.

Vetyeka fought like the styles of most African fighters, charging in and out and throwing sharp jabs and straights and waiting for Donaire to lower his left. The champion dug deep into Donaire’s body in the second round but couldn’t penetrate the breadbasket.

Sensing a blood in his opponent’s wound, the African targeted the cut with conjectural straights hoping to land a clean shot that would decimate Donaire’s defense and force the referee to stop the fight on TKO.

PRESSED

Donaire, however, pressed for a kill and rocked the champion with solid punches in the body.

Both fighters had heated exchanges in the third and fourth.

Despite being pummeled by a left hook that sent him to the canvas for a mandatory eight count, sturdy-chinned Vetyeka refused to slow down; no sign of intimidation in his eyes while throwing his own haymakers and combinations with confidence while clinging to life.

A rematch is most likely to happen now that Vetyeka yielded the WBA jewels in a not-so-convincing fashion.

Donaire learning from Pacquiao: talk less; let fists do the noise

Donaire learning from Pacquiao: 
talk less; let fists do the noise

"Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful." JOHN WOODEN 

By Alex P. Vidal

The reason why Manny Pacquiao is so popular and adored even by fans of his opponents until today is because he talks less and allows his fists do the noise in the ring; or when Pacquiao opens his mouth, he makes sure he doesn't sound like a moron.
We have personally interviewed almost all of Pacquiao's foes in the United States and none of them has issued slanderous remarks against his person (except Floyd Mayweather Jr. who accused him of steroids abuse). 
In fact, most of them have nothing but respect and adulation for the 34-year-old congressman-cum-boxer even after they have been vanquished. Pacquiao ended up as hero for them (for allowing them to earn much and breach the $1 million purse bracket), not as conqueror. 
Instead of hating Pacquiao for the humiliation they got in the ring, most of them became his friends and even attended his birthday bash. Pacquiao has proven that he could be his rivals' worst torturer in sports and best "business partner" in and outside the square jungle. 

FORGIVE

Unlike Sugar Ray Leonard who could not forgive Roberto Duran for calling his wife "puta" (whore); unlike Evander Holyfield who could not shake hands with Mike Tyson for threatening to "eat his children" and for chewing off a piece of his ear.
Pacquiao has lived a dignified life as a professional athlete that even sports scribes in the United States wouldn't equate his savagery inside the ring to the violent culture institutionalized by Abu Sayyaf in his birthplace in Mindanao.
Coming from the same roots in General Santos City, Mindanao, Filipino-American Nonito "The Flash" Donaire Jr. (31-2, 20 KOs) could steamroll an elephant with a monster punch, but doesn't have Pacquiao's charisma. And so he is trying to inch a little closer to Pacquiao's magnetism by saying less than necessary.

ENGAGE
  
Donaire, who will turn 30 on Nov. 16, has refused to engage his opponents in unnecessary word war. In his remarch with Vic “The Raging Bull” Darchinyan (39-5-1, 28 KOs) of Armenia on Nov. 9 in Corpus Christi, Texas, Donaire didn't allow Darchinyan to provoke him psychologically. 
Darchinyan, 37, almost exclusively promoted his rematch with Donaire with his umbrage for the man who ruined his profitable fistic career six years ago.
“I didn’t know who he was six years ago,” growled Darchinyan. “I made him. No one ever heard of him. He was the number eight or nine contender. Everyone knows if he didn’t get me with the left hook, I would knock him out. I was coming out for a big punch. Everyone thinks he is a big deal.”
Darchinyan billowed further: “I am still looking for the knockout. This time I won’t be silly with one punch. This time I will use my skill. I know he is scared and chicken. I am coming to prove it. I have been in with him, I know how scared he is of my punches. I will come and demolish him. I am coming to destroy him. I made him. I am coming to break him.” 

READY

“Mentally I am ready for this fight. I am coming to send him to retirement. It is going to be a great fight. I will be ready. I am coming to destroy him. I am coming to beat the 2012 Fighter of the Year. I want to prove to everyone he is no one,” Darchinyan concluded.
Donaire's reply: "There's already a lot of tension as you know. 'I make him and break him.' That's from Darchinyan. I expected as much from Darchinyan. You know, I thought that age would subside a little bit of the hatred, but apparently not. Which is why I say that this fight is going to be an incredible fight, because of the fact that for them six years, I have taken everything away from him, everything that he has worked for all his life."