By Chris Williams: Nonito Donaire (28-1, 18 KO’s) successfully moved up in weight tonight to beat Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. (21-2-1, 18 KO’s) by a 12 round split decision to claim the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) super bantamweight title at the Alamodome in San Antonio Texas. The final judges’ scores were 117-110, 117-110 for Donaire, and 115-112 for Vazquez Jr.

Donaire scored a flash knockdown from a left hook in the 9th, but other than that, he never hurt Vazquez Jr. and really struggled after the first four rounds. Once Vazquez Jr. got his offense in gear, Donaire began to eat jabs and right hands. Donaire seemed to react in a strange way, as he started clowning and ducking down low, as if he was a really poor version of Roy Jones Jr. It just made Donaire look amateurish. Donaire ate a kit if jabs to the face all night long and both of his eyes were red and swollen from this. On the outside, Donaire had a lot of problems with Vazquez’s jabs and right hands. I’ve never seen Donaire struggle so badly before. Donaire mostly fought in spurts, swinging as if he were looking for a one-punch knockout. That kind of thing may have worked for him at flyweight, super flyweight and against tiny bantamweights like Fernando Montiel, but against a genuine super bantamweight in Vazquez Jr., it wasn’t working for Donaire. He just doesn’t have major power at super bantamweight like he did in the lighter weights.

All in all, Donaire looked pretty average and I think it’s fair to say that WBA World super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux would have easily beaten Donaire tonight. If I’m Bob Arum, I’d continue to keep Donaire away from Rigondeaux on a permanent basis because Donaire is not in his class. Donaire would have been taken apart tonight with all the wild homerum left hooks he threw. Rigondeaux would have had so many openings he wouldn’t know which one to capitalize on first.

Donaire needs to forget about moving up in weight to the featherweight division because he wouldn’t stand a chance. I think he’ll beat Jorge Arce but so would a lot of the top fighters in the super bantamweight division. Donaire was pretty well exposed tonight. If he’s smart, he’ll move down in weight to bantamweight and try to beat Abner Mares and Anselmo Moreno, but he needs to forget about Rigondeuax, because that guy would destroy him and send him back to San Leandro, California with a bruised ego.

After the fight, Donaire said he may have injured his left hand and he admits that fighting a super bantamweight was a lot tougher than he suspected it would be.