Nonito Donaire vs. Chris John being discussed for March or April 2013 in Asia

By Boxing News - 12/28/2012 - Comments

john453445By Chris Williams: Instead of WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire (31-1, 20 KO’s) taking on the dangerous and highly skilled counter puncher WBA super bantamweight chanmpion Guillermo Rigondeaux next in a toss-up fight, Donaire could end up facing WBA Super World featherweight champion Chris John (48-0-2, 22 KO’s) next in a fight that could be staged in Asia someplace, according to Steve Kim.

Kim said on his twitter: “Would anyone be opposed to a fight between Nonito Donaire and Chris John at 126? I hear that’s being discussed #boxing. Word is that the next Donaire fight could take place somewhere in Asia like Macau (which would be a dream for Arum).”

Somehow I’m not surprised at all that this fight is being discussed. John is a considered a paper champion in the eyes of a lot of boxing fans after beating Juan Manuel Marquez by a highly controversial decision in 2006, and getting controversial draw against former fringe contender Rocky Juarez in 2009, and then beating him by a controversial 12 round decision later on in the year in 2009.

John, 33, has held his World Boxing Association featherweight title for eight years, but his opposition has been less than impressive during that time. We haven’t seen John fight the likes of Juan Manuel Lopez, Orlando Salido, Yuriorkis Gamboa, Jhonny Gonzalez or Celestino Caballero, even though those are the best fighters at featherweight and the most obvious choices for John to have faced. I personally see John as having three losses on his resume because his wins over Juarez and Marquez looked losses to me.

Macau is in China, and I’m not sure why the fight would be staged there, as John is from Indonesia and that would make a lot more sense or Dubai, although I don’t see the fight drawing well over there.

I don’t see Donaire ever fighting Rigondeaux, so I’m not surprised by any of this. I consider John not even close to being the best fighter at featherweight, and I could see how Donaire would be matched up against him instead of the arguably much, much more dangerous Orlando Salido, who would be all over Donaire if that fight took place. It won’t take place, believe me. Salido is too good.



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