(Photo: Tom Casino/SHOWTIME) By Chris Williams: Former IBF bantamweight champion Abner Mares (23-0, 13 KO’s) is hoping to get a unification bout against WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire later in the year after Mares faces and beats 37-year-old Eric Morel (46-2, 23 KO’s) on Saturday night in their fight for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) super bantamweight crown at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso, Texas.

Mares said this as quoted by philboxing.com “The big name that is up there is no doubt Nonito Donaire.”

If Mares can’t get that fight, he’s willing to take one of the following fighters: Rafael Marquez, Victor Terrazas, Fernando Montiel, Jorge Arce or Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. All of those names are pretty good fighters, especially Terrazas and Vazquez Jr. I see those guys are being above Montiel and Arce at this point. Terranzas recently beat Montiel, so he shouldn’t even be mentioned here. Marquez was defeated recently as well a couple of times, and that makes it less interesting.

As far as Mares getting a fight against Donaire, I think that’s absolutely impossible. It won’t happen. Mares is fighting at too high of a level and he’s a Golden Boy promotions fighter, whereas Donaire fights for Top Rank. That reason alone is enough for the fight to NEVER happen. But Mares being a really good fighter is the kiss of death for him. He won’t get the fight, and I can’t see that changing unless things change with the way Donaire has been being matched up.

Mares needs to worry about getting by Morel on Saturday. That’s a tough fight. Morel still pretty much has his skills intact as far as I can tell. If Mares overlooks him, he can forget about facing one of those aforementioned fighters. He should win but it’s possible Morel can pull off an upset if he’s able to fight hard for the full 12 rounds or come up with some of his old power to stop Mares.

It looks Arum is putting Donaire on the soft track to keep him winning for as long as possible. We saw Arum match Miguel Cotto against less than stellar opposition for the past three years, and I’m wondering if that’s what Arum will do with Donaire. Mares is kidding himself if he thinks Arum will put his little cash cow Donaire in with a fighter like Mares at this point. That’s not going to happen. Donaire is going to be positioned against an aging, smaller Jorge Arce, and then some other beatable fighter at either bantamweight or super bantamweight. It won’t be Mares and it won’t be Guillermo Rigondeaux. Look for Donaire to be put in with more bantamweight or super flyweights in the near future. Heck, look at his next fight.

Donaire is facing a bantamweight in Cristian Mijares instead of a super bantamweight. Donaire might as well give up his WBO title if he’s going to be matched against guys from a division below him. I guess I should be happy that he’s not being pitted against a fighter two divisions below him at super flyweight because I can see that happening.