By Ian S Palmer
The WBA Super World Featherweight Title will be on the line this Saturday, October 18 when Nonito Donaire of the Philippines takes on undefeated Nicholas Walters of Jamaica at the StubHub Center in Carson, California. Donaire goes into the bout as the champion even though he lost the WBO Super Bantamweight Title when he was beaten by unanimous decision in a unification bout against Guillermo Rigondeaux in April 2013. Walters is the WBA’s regular Featherweight Champion. This 12-round bout can be seen on HBO in North America.
The 31-year-old Donaire climbs through the ring ropes with an impressive record of 33-2 with 21 Kos. The 28-year-old Walters has a perfect record of 24-0 along with 20 Kos to his name. Walters has a 1.5-inch height advantage at 5-foot-7 and his 73-inch reach gives him a five-inch edge in that department as well. Donaire has the advantage when it comes to experience though since he’s fought 208 rounds as a pro compared to 109 by Walters. One of the reasons for this is Walters’ impressive knockout record.
Donaire last fought back in late May when he beat Simpiwe Vetyeka via a fifth-round technical decision for the title. Walters fought the same night and stopped former world champion Vic Darchinyan in five. Donaire used to be one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world, but he hasn’t looked too impressive ever since he stepped into the ring with Rigondeaux. He did manage to stop Darchinyan in the ninth for the second time in his career last November and he looked mediocre against Simpiwe Vetyeka.
Donaire has been in with some of boxing’s best over the years as he’s faced and beaten the likes of Toshiaki Nishioka, Jorge Arce, Wilfredo Vazquez Jr, Fernando Montiel, Luis Maldonado, and Raul Martinez. Donaire’s two losses game against Rigondeaux and to Rosendo Sanchez in his second pro bout in 2001 when he lost a five-round unanimous decision.
Walters doesn’t try to hide the fact that he’s a power puncher and that can be seen in his record. He would rather take his opponent out as soon as possible and he’s been quite effective at it up to now. Walters can do a lot of damage if he lands his heavy shots on the chin as the aging Darchinyan found out. Donaire’s a class above Darchinyan, but he’s been dropped to the canvas before. Walters is going to test his chin on Saturday and if Donaire’s not at his best he could find himself in a lot of trouble.
Donaire needs to utilize his own power and speed and make sure he lands hard enough to make Walters think twice about attacking him. Donaire’s good at picking off his opponents when they move into firing range, but it’s not going to be that easy since Walters has the reach advantage. If there are any weaknesses in Walters’ game plan then Donaire should be able to exploit them. Walters does have some decent boxing skills of his own as he’s mobile enough in the ring and has good hand speed. He’s got the killer instinct and this means Donaire needs to keep throwing back if he gets hurt.
Motivation and hunger will play a big part in this encounter and right now Walters seems to be the more likely victor when those factors are taken into consideration. Donaire can’t afford to let Walters attack at will and needs to let his hands go whenever Walters is within distance. If he can’t keep the Jamaican off of him then Walters will try to walk right through him.
Prediction
This is a huge fight for Donaire as it’s probably his last chance to prove that he’s still one of the world’s elite boxers. Walters realizes he can make a name for himself overnight with a win here and it’s going to be hard to deter him. Based on recent form, this could be Donaire’s undoing as a top star and if his chin betrays him he’ll be stopped before the 12 rounds are over. It’s hard to bet against Donaire, but his best days are behind him and he’ll likely pay the price by being stopped in the second half of the fight.
