Five Things You Need to Know About Nonito Donaire Jr.

On Saturday, October 22, 2011, the fighter many consider the most exciting young talent in the sport, Nonito Donaire, returns to action in New York City, when he meets Omar Narvaez at Madison Square Garden. 

Donaire is the WBO and WBC bantamweight champion and The Ring Magazine's pound-for-pound number four. He is 26-1 with 18 KOs and most recently fought last February, when he won his  118-pound belts by demolishing Fernando Montiel in two.

Donaire, who turns 29 in November, is already firmly established as a superstar in the minds of hardcore boxing fans. He has solid all-around skills and perhaps the most explosive and effective left hook of any fighter currently active, regardless of weight.

The "Filipino Flash" is viewed by many as the man who will emerge as the next pound-for-pound king, in a post-Manny Pacquiao, post-Floyd Mayweather boxing universe. Whether or not that ends up happening, there is no question he is poised to be one of the sport's top attractions for years to come. 

In is inevitable that the shadow of the sport's current top star, Manny Pacquiao, should hang over Nonito Donaire. Like Pacquiao, Donaire was born in General Santos City, South Cotabato, Philippines. They attended the same school. 

Donaire, however, moved to the United States at 10 years of age. Unlike Pacman, who turned pro as a teenager to earn grocery money for his fatherless home, Donaire had the advantage of an extensive amateur career, with his father training him and working his corner. He won three national titles before turning professional and had a record of 68-8. 

In-ring comparisons between the two are equally imprecise. Though both fighters fought for world titles at 112 pounds and have shown the kind of punching power that thrills fans and sells tickets, they are hardly carbon images of each other, despite Donaire's misguided habit of occasionally fighting southpaw. 

And it seems unlikely to me that Donaire will ever climb up through the weight classes like Pacquiao has. At roughly the same age Donaire is now, Pacman was fighting at 130 pounds; within a year he was challenging Oscar De La Hoya at a catch weight of 145. 

There has been some talk that Donaire is not going to spend much time at bantamweight. In his most recent public workout, he asserted that this was his last fight at bantamweight.   

Maybe. But realistically, there are a year's worth of big fights for Donaire at 118 pounds: Anselmo Moreno, the winner of the Mares-Agbeko rematch. I can even see him doing a return bout with Vic Darchinyan.

Eventually he's going to go up in weight and there should be some thrillers for him at featherweight. I'd love to see him fight Yuri Gamboa, Juan Manuel Lopez or Mikey Garcia. I can even imagine Donaire winning belts as high as 130.

Much higher than that, I'll need to see it before I believe it is so.  

Donaire won his first world title in July of 2007 in dramatic fashion, taking the IBF flyweight belt off from the previously undefeated Vic Darchinyan. A seven-to-one underdog going into the fight, Donaire ended it all in a hurry in round five, dropping the champ with a counter left hook. 

It was The Ring upset and knockout of the year for 2007.

Darchinyan had previously dispatched Donaire's older brother, Glenn, breaking his jaw in the process. The fight had a strong grudge match flavor.

Darchinyan is currently ranked five at bantamweight and is scheduled to fight the division's number two man, Anselmo Moreno, in December. If he wins that fight, a rematch against Donaire would be a very real possibility. 

Nonito Donaire moved to bantamweight in December of 2010, knocking down contender Volodymyr Sydorenko in the first and third round before finishing him in fourth.  

He followed that three months later by capturing the 118-pound WBC and WBO belts by knocking out reigning champion Fernando Montiel in round two. 

Just as with his 2007 victory over Darchinyan, Donaire's explosive left hook was the story. 

The knock out has pushed Donaire's already blue chip stock sky high. Some, like Teddy Atlas, have been critical of what is perceived as "too much" hype surrounding Donaire.

I agree that Donaire is still a work in progress and that it is much too early to start talking about him as an all-time great. But fight fans want fighters to be excited about. And it is entirely understandable why so many have focused on Donaire.  

Donaire is married to Filipino-American Rachel Marcial Donaire, a USA National Collegiate and Military Taekwondo champion.

A media-savvy wife with a good back story never hurt any fighter's marketability, and Mrs. Donaire knows how to talk the fight game. If Donaire continues to develop into a top HBO-promoted fighter, expect to see his wife get camera time, too.   

Omar Narvaez moves up from 115 pounds to meet Donaire, where The Ring currently ranks him number two in the world. He is the current WBO super flyweight and former WBO flyweight champion.

The 36-year-old Narvaez represented Argentina in the 1996 and 2000 Olympics. He is 35-0-2, though he has rarely fought outside of his native country.

Now in his second decade as a pro, Donaire should represent a significantly more daunting challenge than any Narvaez has so far faced. How much of a challenge Narvaez presents for Donaire remains to be seen. While the Argentinian is unquestionably a world-class talent against the younger, quicker and bigger Donaire he frankly seems over matched. 

Ultimately this fight feels like an appetizer for bigger things to come. But an appetizer can be just as delicious as any main course, and this is still very much a must-see fight.