By Chris Williams: IBF/WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire (29-1, 18 KO’s) will be fighting former WBC 122 pound champion Toshiaki Nishioka (39-4-3, 24 KO’s) in a fight for the vacant WBC Diamond super bantamweight title on October 13th at the Home Depot Center, in Carson, California. Donaire, 29, is looking to bag the WBC Diamond strap, while at the same time moving up from #3 to #1 in the Ring ratings by moving ahead of #2 Guillermo Rigondeaux.

Beating 36-year-old Nishioka won’t prove that Donaire is the best fighter in the super bantamweight division because Nishioka has clearly lost something from his game in the past year, and doesn’t look the same that he once did. I never saw Nishioka as a really good fighter to begin with. He just got lucky of holding down the WBC title when the competition was weak in the division. It’s doubtful that Nishioka could hang against the likes of champions Guillermo Rigondeaux and Abner Mares.

If Donaire can beat Nishioka to get the #1 spot in the Ring Ratings, hopefully Donaire will then face the #2 fighter Rigondeaux so that he can prove that he’s really the best fighter in the division. Until that happens I’ll see Donaire as #3.

Nishioka fought twice last year, beating Mauricio Javier Munoz and Rafael Marquez. However, Nishioka hasn’t fought at all during 2012, and by the time that he faces Donaire on 13th of October, Nishioka will have been out of the ring for over a year. That’s a long time for a fighter that is facing one of the best fighters in the super bantamweight division in Nishioka.

Donaire, 29, has captured the IBF and WBO super bantamweight titles recently with wins over Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. and Jeffrey Mathebula. Those two targets where the soft variety. Donaire hasn’t targeted the much tougher Rigondeaux or Mares for a fight with him and it’s easy to see why. Those two could likely beat Donaire.