Arce still wants to face Donaire next

By Boxing News - 06/13/2012 - Comments

Image: Arce still wants to face Donaire nextBy Dan Ambrose: Incredibly, WBO bantamweight champion Jorge Arce (60-6-2, 46 KO’s) still wants to face WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire next. This comes after Arce fought to a 2nd round no decision to Jesus Rojas last Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The fight ended with Rojas, who was dominating Arce from the second half of the 1st round until the 2nd, landing a left hand low blow followed by a right to the left kidney and a right hand to Arce’s left eye. The shots left Arce wincing in pain and unable to continue fighting because of pain in his left ear.

However, to some boxing fans, Arce looked like he was taking the easy way out of the fight because Rojas was really teeing off on Arce with big shots. The fight looked like it was going to be a really tough one for Arce, and he may not have had the size, youth or the chin to deal with the stronger Rojas. The questionable punches didn’t look all that bad.

The low blow was a borderline shot, the right to Arce’s left ear was a perfectly legal shot to the side of Arce’s head, and the shot to Arce’s kidney was just a little off. It wasn’t a killer puncher and neither was the low blow. It looked bad with Arce not getting up off the canvas to at least try and continue fighting.

Arce said to Ringtv “I want all the big fights. I want to fight Nonito Donaire, [Toshiaki] Nishioka or [Abner] Mares.”

I think Bob Arum, Donaire’s promoter, would be making a mistake if he puts Donaire in with Arce right now. Arum needs to wait until Arce puts in a better effort because that performance is going to stay in the boxing public’s mind for some time until Arce beats a couple of guys and makes fans forget it.

The thing is Arce is old and vulnerable now. He may not be able to beat a couple of decent fighters at this point in his career. Arum would be better off skipping Arce, and letting Donaire face the WBA super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux instead. Rigondeaux is a lot better than Arce, and it would be a better fight for Donaire. If he faces Arce, it’ll just make Donaire look like he’s continuing to take nothing but easy fights instead of real challenges.



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