Donaire's Odds Over Oubaali Improves with Boxing Haitus
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 24 Jul 2020
Donaire (R) with Oubaali (C) and Roy Jones Jnr.
Finally, Nonito Donaire and Nordine Oubaali will be meeting for Oubaali's WBC bantamweight title this December 12 in Connecticut, USA as announced by Showtime Boxing.
By that time, the two will have been away from boxing for more than a year having both last saw action in November 2019 under the same promotional card held in Saitama, Japan.
Donaire lost on points to Naoya Inoue in their much awaited Boxing Super Series bantamweight finals where the WBA super, IBF and the Ring lineal titles as well as the prestigious Muhammad Ali trophy signifying overall dominance of the division were at staked.
Oubaali in the main supporting bout successfully defended his WBC title for the second time by outpointing Naoya's younger brother Takuma.
Though loser, Nonito emerged with the lesser physical damage than Naoya who finished with a broken eye socket and nose as well as cuts inside the mouth. Nonito even had Naoya in serious trouble and on the verge of going down at some points of that fight and just lost steam in the homestretch.
As a result, Nonito's stock even rose from that defeat with the WBC naming him as next mandatory challenger to Oubaali who had little difficulties turning back the younger, less heralded Takuma Inoue.
Facing off after those bouts more than year, instead of just six months last May, due to the delay caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the long layoff is seen as a factor in the chances of both to pull off the victory.
What has boxing history to say about this matter?
George Foreman and Muhammad Ali were the first to prove that far from eroding, long sabbatical from fighting can even improve one's capabilities and outlook for greater success in boxing going forward.
Ali was forced out of boxing for more than three years starting in 1967 due to his Vietnam War military draft evasion case. He came back in 1971 and eventually regained the heavyweight title he actually never lost in the ring in 1974 by sensational 8th round knockout of Foreman in Zaire.
Foreman on the other hand, demoralized by that Ali loss and a highly unexpected points defeat to Jimmy Young in 1977, decided to retire from boxing in 1978. He came back TEN YEARS after in 1988 and regained a share of the heavyweight championship by knockout over Michael Moorer in 1995. He became the oldest man to win a world championship until Bernard Hopkins reset the record.
Those were of course extreme cases.
In the more recent case, in late 2009 Floyd Mayweather came back after more than two years away from boxing and regained not only lion share of the welterweight championship but even win world titles at super welterweight two more times after achieving the feat before his first retirement.
In his return until his second retirement in 2015, Floyd with his advancing age became an adherent to observing long rest after hard fights, fighting just an average of one fight per year. He even credited this sabbatical approach in extending his career and much protected unbeaten record.
Of course, the long hiatus from boxing has been forced upon Donaire and Oubaali. What they did and are doing to keep in body and mind in battle readiness status is also to be taken into account.
But experience is also a big factor in determining which fighter of their caliber will be more likely to adjust and offset whatever effects of a long layoff may have on their performance. Leveling off or leveling up?
Donaire has his cup running over after more than 50 fights and ten years under his belt across five weight divisions where he fought and mostly won world titles under varying conditions and levels of difficulties.
At his advancing age, he seems to rediscover his comfort and once deadly self back at bantamweight. He nearly pulled the rugs from under against unarguably top two or three pound for pounder in Naoya.
A long rest would certainly help in healing and recharging his body and sharpening his mind as age does to people at that juncture in life.
Oubaali has just 17 fights and 17 wins thus far in five years. He has so far had his way against mostly B level opponents. He is very young and need more fights to achieve seasoning and his full potentials. He has gathered some momentum particularly the last two years with fights against improving level though mostly still doubtful qualities of foes.
The hiatus has affected his momentum for sure.
Nonito has been leveling off at bantamweight. Nordine has still to level up and the question is, can he, especially given the hiatus?
Given those and what history says, from where I sit, Nonito has the advantage going to their December fight.
Age matters. But experience decisively so.
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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