By Manuel Perez: Nonito Donaire (22-1, 14 KO’s) is planning on moving up in weight after defeating Rafael Concepcion (13-4-1, 8 KO’s) on August 15th by a 12-round decision to capture the interim WBA World super flyweight title, according to the GMA News. Well, I wouldn’t advise Donaire to even consider moving up in weight after seeing how badly Donaire looked against Concepcion.
Donaire looked truly terribly in that fight and had to resort to running in the 2nd half of the bout to earn a decision. Concepcion, who came in five pounds over the super flyweight weight limit and spent the better part of the 12 round bout clocking Donaire with big right hands whenever Donaire would stop for more than second.
Donaire may have been the big puncher in the flyweight division, but that power looks as if it didn’t carry over to the super flyweights. Donaire’s punches had no effect on Concepcion, who took them like he was getting hit by a fly. I can’t say the same for Donaire, though. Concepcion was really giving Donaire the business during the fight, battering him with huge rights and left hands and sending Donaire scurrying for cover.
The fight ended up being very close with Donaire winning by a razor thin margin on my card. Donaire’s running really made him look bad in this fight. I can’t even begin to imagine that Donaire is thinking of moving up in weight again. If Donaire can’t handle a fighter like Concepcion without putting on his track shoes and running like mad, what’s going to happen when Donaire moves up in weight and fights a bigger puncher than Concepcion?
For Donaire’s own good, I would recommend him moving up in weight anymore. Donaire doesn’t have the build of a Manny Pacquiao and won’t likely be able to put on much weight without it slowing him down. Donaire has a string bean type body, which is perfect for the flyweight division but not so perfect for the divisions above that.
If Donaire thinks that he could dominate Concepcion if they both came in at the exact same weight, why doesn’t Donaire give him a rematch so that Donaire can prove that he can easily beat him? That’s the fight that Donaire should be going after, not moving up and getting his head torn off by Joseph Agbeko or Fernando Montiel. I think Donaire would get destroyed if he fought Jorge Arce at super flyweight.
Arce will walk right through Donaire’s hooks and pound the living daylights out of Donaire, sending him packing his bags to go back down to flyweight. I’m pretty good at judging the talent level of a fighter and estimating what they can or can’t do in the future.
I’m telling you, Donaire is going to get his head torn off if he moves beyond the super flyweight division. Donaire wants to keep collecting titles in different weight divisions like Pacquiao. Okay, I can respect that, but let’s be serious now. Donaire doesn’t have the build to beat bigger fights like Juan Manuel Marquez, Chris John or Edwin Valero.
I’d really like for Donaire to succeed at moving up in weight and eventually beating fighters like them, but if Donaire is having huge troubles against a small fighter like Concepcion, what does that tell you about Donaire? He needs remedial work at the super flyweight division before he even should consider moving up in weight.
Once Donaire proves that he’s the best in the super flyweight division, by all means move up in weight. But Donaire hasn’t proved that with his unimpressive performance against Concepcion. That’s a do over if you ask me. I saw the fight as pretty much draw where neither fighter really proved that their better than the other.
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