By Chris Williams: Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is reportedly excited after seeing his fighter WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire (28-1, 18 KO’s) training recently for his unification fight this Saturday night against IBF super bantamweight champion Jeffrey Mathebula (26-3-2, 14 KO’s) at the Home Depot Center, in Carson, California.

Arum no doubt is hoping the 29-year-old Donaire turns out to be another Manny Pacquiao pay-per-view star so that the gravy train doesn’t end in a year or two when Pacquiao likely starts getting thrashed and decides to retire from boxing. But Donaire doesn’t look like he’s going to going to be that gold fighter for Arum unless he keeps digging up guys like Omar Narvaez, Mathebula and Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. to keep from Donaire getting exposed badly.

Arum said to Philboxing.com after seeing Donaire train “He’s not just good; Nonito is sensational. He is terrific.”

I don’t know if Arum will be able to come up with those words if he takes Donaire and puts him in with WBA World super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux. Arum might need to come up with a more accurate description of Donaire after that fight, such as ‘He’s okay; he needs a lot of work. He’s not as good as I thought.’ Now that would be a more realistic view and not a view based on fights against a handful of beatable and recently exposed opponents.

Mathebula is someone that few people have focused on. He’s a champion, but he’s not done much in his career other than lose to Celestino Caballero and Takalani Ndlovu, and then beat Ndlovu by a close 12 round split decision in their rematch last March to win the IBF title. Mathebula is a champion but he’s unproven and will likely lose to Donaire on Saturday.

This will then give Donaire a second title, and bragging rights that he’s the best fighter in the 122 pound division. For casual fans who don’t have much understanding of boxing, they might see Donaire with the two titles and figure he’s the best at that weight. However, for hardcore boxing fans who have seen Rigondeaux and taken note that Donaire isn’t interested in facing him, they’ll think otherwise.