By Chris Williams: IBF/WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire (29-1, 18 KO’s) has an old lion in front of him this Saturday night in facing 36-year-old Toshiaki Nishioka (39-4-3, 24 KO’s) on HBO at the Home Depot Center, in Carson, California, USA. Donaire claims that Nishioka is the best fighter in the super bantamweight division, but Donaire seems to be the only one that believes this because the general consensus around the internet boxing forums is that Nishioka has picked old gray lion and is trying to make more of the fight than there actually is.

The real tests for Donaire at super bantamweight are champions Abner Mares and Guillermo Rigondeaux, but Donaire has been going in different directions than them for some reason despite these guys wanting to fight him. We’re seeing Donaire vs. Jeffrey Mathebula, Donaire vs. Omar Narvaez and now Donaire vs. Nishioka.

Donaire said to Sports.inquirer.net “The proper game plan will show my power, which is what I was known for – lightning fast counters that were knocking people out because they never saw it coming.”

The the emphasis is on what Donaire used to do, because he’s no longer knocking guys out after moving up in weight to super bantamweight. His sudden dry spell for not knocking guys out is being blamed on him fighting better opposition all of a sudden. However, I don’t agree with that. I think Donaire simply doesn’t have the power that he had at the lighter weights, and he’s not as fast either.

If Donaire tries to KO Nishioka on Saturday night he could give his Japanese opponent his only real chance of winning this fight by giving him a chance of knocking Donaire out while he’s busy loading up on his shots. Donaire doesn’t need to try and knock this old lion out to win. All he needs to do is box and try not to get hit so much. Donaire’s face looked awful in his last two fights against Mathebula and Vazquez Jr., and he’s not going to be able to win in style if he looks like fell off a bicycle while pedaling down a mountain.