By Chris Williams: Former 2012 Fighter of the Year, Nonito Donaire (33-3, 21 KOs), will be trying to turn his deteriorating career around next Saturday on March 28th against William Prado (22-4-1, 15 KOs) in a 12 round fight at the Araneta Coliseum, Barangay Cubao, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines.
Donaire was wiped out in his last fight by WBA featherweight champion Nicholas Walters in October of last year.
A lot has changed with Donaire’s career since he was given the 2012 Fighter of the Year aware by a handful of writers off of wins over Jeffrey Mathebula, Jorge Arce, Toshiaki Nishioka and Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. Beating those guys right now wouldn’t give Donaire anything other than fans wondering why he’s not fighting the quality fighters at 122.
Those guys were all suspect in my mind back then, but some writers felt they good fighters. Obviously they weren’t, as they disappeared almost immediately from the top rungs of the 122 pound division after their fight with Donaire. As for Donaire’s career, he’s not looked like the same fighter he once was after he stepped it up a couple of levels in facing the real quality fighters in Rigondeaux and Walters.
Donaire says he’s “very ready and happy,” in an interview via Philboxing.com.
With less than a week to go before his fight, the 32-year-old Donaire still needs to lose eight pounds to get down to the 122 pound weight limit for the fight, which will be taking place at super bantamweight. That’s not a lot of weight for most fighters, but you never know with Donaire.
It might be tough for him to take the weight off, because he likely has already dehydrated a considerable amount of weight. If he reaches a sticking point then it could be a problem. Donaire moved up in weight to featherweight after his 12 round decision loss to WBA super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux in 2013.
At the time, Donaire complained that it was too difficult for him to make the 122 pound weight limit at this point in his career. However, after a controversial 5th round technical decision win over Simpiwe Vetyeka, a much tougher than expected 9th round stoppage victory over Vic Darchinyan, and a 6th round stoppage loss to Nicholas Walters, Donaire has had a chance of mind about wanting to fight at featherweight.
Donaire started training camp at 140 for the Prado fight. It’s likely that he was a solid 140 rather than a fat 140. Donaire is a “man on a mission” in wanting to turn his career around at 122. He’s hoping to capture a world title at 122.
It’s going to be difficult for Donaire to win another world title at super bantamweight because there’s no soft jobs for him to win an easy belt against like there was when he picked up the WBO 122 pound title against Wilfredo Vazquez. Donaire would find it very tough going against champions Rigondeaux, Scott Quigg, Leo Santa Cruz and Carl Frampton.
Prado has lost 3 out of his last six fights in the last three years. He won his last fight against Marcelo Bispo last April by a 1st round knockout. Before that fight, Prado was stopped in the 3rd round by Scott Quigg in June of 2013.
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