By Chris Williams: Nonito Donaire (26-1, 18 KO’s) may have scored a spectacular victory in defeating WBC/WBO bantamweight champion Fernando Montiel (44-3-2, 34 KO’s) last Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, but it might not have been enough for Americans to get behind Donaire and start seeing him as someone they want to watch.

HBO boxing analyst Larry Merchant wonders about that after watching Donaire annihilate the champion Montiel with a big left hook that knocked Montiel down, causing his legs to twitch while he was flat on his back. Montiel got up but couldn’t defend himself after getting nailed two by Donaire. The fight was then stopped.

In an interview of Merchant by examiner.com writer Chris Robinson, Merchant said “I think it [speaking about his win over Montiel] places him in the top level, in the elite level in the sport. The question is whether American viewers care about bantamweights. It’s very rare that American fight fans have shown much interest in fighters in that weight class. He also showed that he has the kind of skill and strength that he could move up to the featherweight divisions.”

I hate to rain on Donaire’s parade but Merchant is correct. American boxing fans, at least the casual boxing fans, don’t follow or care much about the bantamweight division. It is what it is. Who knows why Americans tune-out these kinds of fighters, but it has to be because of their lack of size. Americans have always favored bigger fighters compared the smaller ones. Donaire might help himself if he were to try and move up in weight as soon as he can because I can’t see him becoming big star for as long as he fights at bantamweight. I don’t think fighting at super bantamweight will make much difference. Donaire needs to move up to featherweight and hope that he can get some fan interest fighting at this weight.