Donaire Steps Up in Weight, Looks to Knock Off Vasquez Jr.
By: Adam Millican
The sweet science has gotten off to a slow start in 2012. Despite the welcome return of Friday Night Fights on ESPN2, boxing fans are starving for some big fights. This Saturday night Nonito Donaire and Wilfredo Vasquez Jr. have the opportunity to deliver just such a fight when they meet head to head in the co-main event at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas to compete for the vacant WBO Super Bantamweight Title. The bout will share a spot on HBO’s first boxing card of the year on which Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. will also appear, stepping up his class of opposition when he meets Marco Antonio Rubio.
Nonito ‘The Filipino Flash’ Donaire 27-1-0 (18 KOs) comes into this fight, his first in the 122lb super bantamweight division, with high expectations. He scored the Knockout of the Year in 2011 against Fernando Montiel and is currently ranked by most boxing pundits as a Top 5 Pound for Pound fighter. Top Rank is his promoter and they are hoping for Donaire to have a breakout year. If he can make a splash in the super bantamweight division and score an impressive victory then bigger and better fights lie ahead. Bob Arum would love nothing more than to have a second flashy, exciting, Pinoy fighter in his stable to market as a PPV attraction.
While most of the attention is on Donaire, the power punching Wildredo Vazquez Jr. 21-1-1 (18 KO) is not coming to lay down and end up a name on a resume. He looks to redeem himself with a big win after the first loss of his professional career which came at the hands of Jorge Arce last year. Vazquez rebounded from the Arce loss by defeating journeyman Roberto Carlos Leyva but this is his first time back in against a top tier opponent. A win for Vazquez would put him back as one of the top names in the division and give him some good opportunities.
Donaire wants to make a statement in this fight. He doesn’t just want to win, he wants to win big and score a knockout. He will come out aggressive and try to use his speed and punch arsenal to overwhelm Vazquez. If he carries his power up to this higher weight division it might be a short night. For Vazquez’s part he does not possess the speed of Donaire so he will need to rely more on his boxing skill, his timing, and try to counterpunch. Another obstacle for Vazquez might be the scale, as late last week rumors began to circulate that he may have trouble making weight.
Prediction: Nonito Donaire by early to mid rd KO
This fight will be broadcast on HBO on Saturday, Feb 4 at 10:00 PM EST.
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