By Chris Williams: Photo credit Zanfer boxing – Boxing fans are getting excited right now about Nonito Donaire (26-1, 18 KO’s) after watching him stop 5’4” WBC/WBO bantamweight champion Fernando Montiel last night in the 2nd round at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, in Las Vegas. This was certainly a good win, but let’s not get carried away and start saying Donaire is the next Manny Pacquiao.

Beating a short Montiel, who was said to have had problems making weight, isn’t the same thing as beating featherweights like Yuriorkis Gamboa and Juan Manuel Lopez. There is already talk of Donaire moving up to featherweight in the near future and going after those guys. I wouldn’t advise. I think Donaire’s ceiling is going to be at super bantamweight. I think he’ll do well against Wilfredo Vazquez Jr., but that doesn’t say much because Vazquez Jr. is a champion in a weak division.

I don’t think Vazquez is that great of fighter, so beating him will be no big deal. But if Donaire tries to move up to featherweight to take on Gamboa or Lopez, I fear he’s reality is going to hit him in the head hard when he loses to both of those fighters and is forced to scurry back down in weight to either bantamweight or super bantamweight.

This is why I feel that Donaire needs to think hard before he takes the plunge and gains weight to fight those guys. He’ll probably mess up his body by gaining weight and just end up making it harder for him to get back down to bantamweight.

Donaire will do well at bantamweight and super bantamweight, because like I said, those divisions don’t have any major stars for Donaire to have to worry about. But if he moves up to featherweight, he’s going to get his backside handed to him again and again by Lopez and Gamboa and some of the other featherweights like Celestino Caballero.