Practicality of Going Down in Weight to be Tested in Nonito Fight vs Inoue
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 04 Nov 2019
The camp of current lightweight unified champion and pound for pound top lister Vasily Lomachenko may be among the parties watching with interest what will happen when Nonito Donaire clashes with Naoya Inoue for the World Boxing Super Series bantamweight finals set this Thursday, November 7 in Saitama, Japan.
At stake in the Donaire-Inoue bout are the WBA super, IBF regular and the Ring Magazine world bantamweight titles as well as the prestigious Muhammad Ali trophy symbolic of dominance in the 118 lbs. division.
But beyond the official titles and recognitions, that fight will determine the practicality to be measured by the ultimate success or failure of Donaire's late career strategic move to go down in weight to the bantamweight class after campaigning with varying results in the higher divisions, the last at featherweight or 126 lbs.
It is no secret that the handlers of Lomachenko has been considering his moving down in weight regardless of his quest of unifying all world titles at 135 lbs next year against the winner of the IBF lightweight championship bout between Ghanaian Richard Commey and Dominican Teofimo Lopez set this November.
Although consistently victorious, Lomachenko has been encountering increasing difficulties handling opponents at lightweight, all of whom are naturally bigger than him and tended to rehydrate to full welterweight at fight time.
It was the same problem Donaire has had especially when he moved up to the featherweights where most of his opponents grew to lightweights, even super lightweights at fight night.
Donaire, as Manny Pacquiao and Luisito Espinosa before him, won world titles at lower divisions, i.e. flyweight (IBF) and bantamweight (WBC and WBO) before winning more belts at higher weights.
But in contrast to his two predecessors, Nonito after gaining world titles also at super flyweight (WBC interim ) super bantamweight (WBC, WBA and IBF) and featherweight (WBA) has decided last year to go back down to bantamweight to wrap up his storied career.
As luck has it, Nonito regained another world title in July last year, a super variety at that in the bantamweight with the WBA with a stoppage victory over Ryan Burnett of the UK in the quarterfinals of the then newly launched WBSS tournament in the weight class.
Pitted against a late substitute, American Stephon Young when original opponent Zolani Tete of South Africa, the WBO titlist, backed out of their supposed semi final match due to injury, Nonito fully took advantage and won his part of the assignment by rousing knockout.
Donaire is among the very few in boxing history to meet success moving down in weight after attaining general success in the higher weight classes.
Puerto Rican great Carlos Ortiz who had campaigned in the welterweights and even won world title at junior welterweight proved to be more successful at lightweight with lengthy tenure as world champion. Fighters as Sugar Ray Leonard and Roy Jones, Jr met disastrous results when they went down in weight, losing to Terry Norris and Antonio Tarver respectively.
Now Nonito is in the WBSS finals ranged against the WBA and IBF regular champion Inoue who has won his side of the tournament by chilling knockout victories over ex titlist Juan Carlos Payano and erstwhile undefeated Puerto Rican IBF champion Emmanuel Rodriguez.
Donaire has been installed as the underdog not only because the fight will be held in Inoue's home country but also due to the Japanese ace's advantage in youth and punching power.
Experts and observers are saying that if Inoue disposes off Donaire impressively this Thursday, he will give Lomachenko and recent weekend victor Saul Canelo Alvarez a run for their money as the world's best pound for pound fighter.
They are also saying that if Lomachenko moves down in weight to the featherweight or super lightweight in the next two years, Inoue may be a possible future opponent if the Japanese Monster continues to grow with his expected upward career projection.
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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