ANALYSIS: A make-or-break fight for Nonito Donaire's career

 

It was not supposed to be like this.

 

At one point, Nonito Donaire was the popular pick as Manny Pacquiao's heir apparent, the successor to wearing the Philippine flag, the bearer of inspiration and hope for millions of Filipino boxing fans.

 

Everything was going according to plan specially after the pound-for-pound rated "Filipino Flash" was picked as the consensus Fighter of the Year in 2012. 

 

But Donaire's world came tumbling down  after a lopsided defeat at the hands of Guillermo Rigondeaux in 2013, followed by less than spectacular performances in his next three fights.

 

All of a sudden, Donaire (33-3, 21KOs) who used to draw crowds and headline events on HBO, is fighting on the undercard of Donnie Nietes in a make-or-break bout when he faces hard-hitting William Prado on Saturday at SMART Araneta Coliseum.

 

Filipinos became aware of Donaire's talent when he knocked out previously-undefeated Vic Darchinyan to win two world titles in the flyweight division in 2007. The time of Donaire's arrival was perfect for a fan base desperate to find the next Manny Pacquiao.

 

Searching for the next Pacquiao proved to be an epic fail over and over. Boxer after boxer lost, failing to meet expectations and as the next Manny Pacquiao title was handed from one fighter to another, Donaire's entry into the Philippine boxing scene was a breathe of fresh air.

 

Power, speed, and technique were naturally bestowed upon Donaire. Whenever Filipino boxing purists wanted to switch from Pacquiao's all-action stye and craved to see a more technical yet still exciting approach, Donaire was the Filipino boxer to turn to.

 

As the years went by, Donaire handily made his way to the pinnacle of his boxing career, winning world titles in four divisions (five if you'd count his interim belt at super flyweight) while managing to deliver exciting showmanship that always had the audience on the edge of their seats.

 

His two-round demolition of Mexican Fernando Montiel in 2011 showcased Donaire winning two major world titles at the bantamweight division. He garnered so much praise, leaving some observers to believe that he's even a more sound and technically gifted fighter than Floyd Mayweather.

 

But as his career soared to greater heights, so did the criticism about Donaire's alleged poor work ethic. According to numerous writers, he barely worked in training camps, ballooned up in weight between fights and only relied heavily on his natural talent come fight night.

 

His loss against Rigondeaux was his first in 12 years. To add to the already disappointing one-sided result, Donaire later admitted that he never bothered to watch any tape of his Cuban opponent: a basic expectation even from the lowest level of fighters, much more from someone of his caliber.

 

To Donaire's credit, unlike many of the boxers in the business today, he never ducked nor dodged dangerous opponents: a statement underlined by the fact that he's still the lone big name in Rigondeaux's resume, an opponent that champions love to avoid in the stacked 122-pound division.

 

Despite public urging and expectations, Donaire made it known in the past that he's neither looking to surpass nor be the successor of Pacquiao. Nonito Donaire simply wants to be Nonito Donaire, be himself and make a name for himself.

 

He was the popular pick by the Filipino people to be Pacquiao's successor, yet his career is seemingly coming to an end sooner than his fellow Filipino ring icon. Donaire has looked like a diminished star in his last three fights, and Prado, his upcoming opponent, will surely seek to find out if the Filipino is still into what he does for a living.

 

Prado is not at the same level as Nicholas Walters, who knocked Donaire out in his last fight. Heck, Prado is not even world rated. However, he possesses punching power that can possibly hurt just about anyone in the super bantamweight division. Coming from a stoppage loss, it will be interesting to see how Donaire reacts after he tastes Prado's power come fight night. His eyes and body language will tell the truth.

 

Donaire said in a press conference that his upcoming bout is his way of finding out if he still has it, if he still has what it takes to compete against the top-tier boxers. Should he feel that he's no longer the same guy who boxed and knocked his opponents out on his way up to the top of the boxing world, Donaire would seriously take retirement into consideration.

 

It wasn't supposed to be this way. 

 

Many Filipinos still crave more of Donaire. He's still the next in line flag bearer to some. Regardless of the result on March 28, it's safe to say that Donaire had already carved his name in the history books. In fact, as early as now, some would argue that he's Hall of Fame worthy.

 

Will we continue to see Donaire inside the ring after March 28? We'll find out this Saturday. —JST, GMA News