By Chris Williams: Nonito Donaire (33-2, 21 KO’s) won the WBA Super World featherweight title last night in a fight that went 4 rounds – just long enough for him to get the victory – last night with his technical decision win over champion Simpiwe Vetyeka (26-3, 16 KO’s) at the Cotai Arena, Venetian Resort, Macao, Macao S.A.R., China. Donaire was given a victory by the judge’s scores of 49-46, 49-46, and 49-46.
The fight was stopped because of a cut over the left eye of Donaire which was caused by an accidental head-butt in the 1st round. Donaire’s promoter Bob Arum was pleased with his performance, and he said at the post-fight press conference that Donaire should be proud with the way he was able to carry on after being cut.
What ultimately was controversial about the fight was that it was allowed to go on for three more rounds despite blood leaking badly from Donaire’s cut left eye. The fight lasted just long enough for it to be an official bout where a win could be given. Had the fight been stopped in the first three rounds, which you can make an argument that it should have, then it would have been a no contest.
The fight was stopped just after Donaire had a good round in the 4th in which he had knocked Vetyeka down. The cut looked no worse than it had been in the 1st round. The timing of the stoppage was suspicious, as it came right after the only good round of the fight by Donaire. By having the fight stopped after the 4th round, it virtually guaranteed that Donaire would get the victory because of what he had done in the 4th with the knockdown. You can ask the question why the fight wasn’t stopped earlier or why didn’t they let the fight continue further.
Arum said “Even though he is not happy, winning the title the way he did, I think he should be proud with the performance he put on. He came through really well. It took a lot of guts to keep fighting, with how he was dazed and with the blood that was in his eyes.”
Donaire said “I didn’t know where the hell I was,” after suffering the head-butt.
Winning the way that Donaire did basically kept him from reestablishing himself after his last two fights. The win over Vetyeka wasn’t the kind of victory that showed that Donaire was the better fighter or that he had come back from his poor performances against Vic Darchinyan and Guillermo Rigondeaux. Donaire just looked like a partial winner because of the fight lasting just long enough for him to get a 4 round decision against a champion. Winning a title the way that Donaire did against a world champion is kind of a cheap way of winning it.
I’m sure some of Donaire’s fans don’t mind him winning a world title in a fight that lasted only 4 rounds, but I think to a lot of fans it keeps Donaire from being seen as a legitimate champion now because there were 8 more rounds to be fought, and it was a fight that was totally even for the most part. Donaire did not look impressive like he had been in the past from 2001-2012.
Donaire looked like a shadow of what he once was, and while they gave him a 4 round decision win, he didn’t look like a champion last Saturday night, at least not to me. Donaire just looked like a guy that went 4 rounds and was given a decision that should have been a no contest or a draw.
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