By Cris Williams: Ronnie Shields, the former trainer for WBA World super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux (9-0, 7 KO’s), feels that Rigondeaux, 31, would be too strong for former two division world champion Nonito Donaire (27-1, 18 KO’s) when and if they ever fight, according to examiner.com.

Shields doesn’t favor Rigondeaux because of loyalty; he was replaced by Cuban trainer Ismael Salas recently and just feels that Rigondeaux is the much stronger fighter compared the slender Donaire.

Shields told examiner.com writer Chris Robinson “I think Rigondeaux is too strong for him [Donaire], absolutely. He’s [Donaire] never fought a guy like Rigondeaux. Rigondeaux is a really great fighter and you know what? He makes everybody fight the way he fights. And look, he’s just too strong for Donaire, I believe.”

Shields has seen what Donaire can do to excellent fighters in sparring sessions and seen what he does in his fights, and knows that Rigondeaux would capitalize on everything that Donaire would attempt to do in the ring against him. Donaire fighter that loads up with everything he throws and tries to knock his opponents out with big swings. He’s fast and he’s been kept away from counter punchers or fighters that know how to block a left hook. This has kept Donaire doing well.

However, Donaire would struggle if he were to be put in with Rigondeaux right now because everything that Donaire does would create huge opportunities for Rigondeux to counter him with left hands to the midsection and head. Rigondeux would time Donaire’s left hook and come straight to the midsection with a knockout shot. Donaire would be forced to stop punching or take all the power he has off of his shots and just look to throw jabs and run all night long to keep from getting countered. It probably wouldn’t matter, though, because Rigondeaux also counters jabs by timing them and coming in with left hands underneath. Either way, Donaire would be in deep, deep trouble against Rigondeux.

For some reason, Donaire wants nothing to do with fighting Rigondeaux, preferring to fight Wilfredo Vazquez Jr., who was recently knocked out, and the aging Jorge Arce, a fighter that will likely be retiring at the end of 2012. Donaire is being aimed at beatable fighters and doesn’t want to fight Rigondeaux. It looks like Donaire may be waiting Rigondeaux until he ages to the point where he’s no longer as dangerous with his speed and counter punching. It would be kind of like with Manny Pacquiao not fighting Shane Mosley until he was 40-years-old and harmless. Before that, Pacquiao wasn’t facing him but once Mosley was shot, presto! Pacquiao finally fought him. We could see that with Donaire waiting Rigondeaux out.