By Chris Williams: WBA Super World featherweight champion Nonito Donaire’s father, Donaire Sr, says Nonito has got his old movement and is fighting in the old style that made him successful for many years.

Donaire seems to have lost a lot of his mobility ever since he put on weight after having been voted the 2012 Fighter of the Year. Donaire had to trim down a lot of weight to face WBO super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux in a fight that Donaire lost.

The movement was gone from Donaire in that fight. In his two subsequent bouts against Vic Darchinyand and Simpiwe Vetyeka, Donaire’s ability to move has been limited. He looked slow and heavy-legged in both of those fights and nothing like the fighter that was crowned the 2012 Fighter of the Year.

Nonito “went back to his old style,” Donaire Sr said to the Manilastandardtoday.com. Nonito’s “movement is back and he has a smart way of fighting.”

In looking at Donaire workout during Thursday’s media day in front of the press, Donaire’s looked just as slow on his feet as he did in his last two fights. His left hook looked as powerful as always, but his footwork was definitely slow, and he didn’t appear springy on his feet like he had two years earlier.

It’s not surprising because Donaire has moved up in weight, and he’s carrying more weight on his upper body. His legs look just as frail as they’ve always looked, which means he’s putting more of a burden on his legs to carry the extra mass he’s put on in his upper body.

Manny Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz, told the Manilastandardtoday.com that the 5’8” Walters “is a make or break fight for Nonito. I think it’s a big challenge for Donaire and if he is able to overcome the odds in this fight he will earn my respect.”

Koncz is right about this being a make or break fight for Donaire, because if he loses the fight then he’s going to be forced to move back down to super bantamweight or better yet bantamweight. Can Donaire drop the weight and be successful at 118 or 122?

I have doubts he can do this unless he signs on a nutritionist to cook his meals for him and monitor what he eats and drinks at all times during training camp. Top Rank promoter Bob Arum won’t be able to position Donaire against IBF champion Evgeny Gradovich or WBO champion Vasyl Lomachenko because those guys would clearly beat Donaire.