Nonito Donaire

A victory for Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire over Super World WBA Featherweight Champion Simpiwe Vetyeka on Saturday in Macao, China, is not a foregone conclusion. But if the heavy-favorite Donaire (per OddsShark.com) does what most expect he will, he'll have a good number of options in front of him as the new champion.

Tom Gray of Ring Magazine doesn't anticipate Donaire will have many issues. Gray writes:

The lethargy that crept in during Donaire's rematch with Vic Darchinyan should be replaced by ample motivation, given that a world title in a fifth weight class is on the line. I think the "Filipino Flash" wins this fight convincingly because he is levels above the opposition.

Most of the champions at 126 pounds are signed with HBO, which means there's a good number of unification bouts within Donaire's reach should he win.

Here's a look at the possibilities.

The Winner of Nicholas Walters-Vic Darchinyan WBA World Championship Bout

This bout is on the undercard of the Donaire-Vetyeka bill and could be an entertaining fight in itself.

Walters is the only the World WBA Champion—not the Super World WBA Champion. That's just another example of how ridiculous the title structures have become in boxing.

In any case, Walters hasn't had the opportunity to prove himself on a major stage before now.

The 28-year-old Jamaican known as "The Axe Man" is 23-0 with 19 KOs. He'll be tested by the awkward, tough and unpredictable Darchinyan on Saturday. Darchinyan has faced Donaire twice and been stopped on both occasions. Still, he'd love a third shot at Donaire.

Darchinyan told Steve Kim of Max Boxing:

In the future, I’m still looking for a fight against Donaire. I’m much bigger than the last fight. You will see the difference. If I can unify the belts with him, have two titles, I think Donaire has to fight me. But I think after the last fight, Donaire’s not going to fight me because he feels my power.

If he looks too far ahead, he could find himself in peril with Walters. The champion can punch, and he has a very solid jab. By the time Saturday night is over, the Walters-Darchinyan bout might be the most memorable fight.

WBC Champion—Jhonny Gonzalez (56-8, 47 KO)

After Gonzalez's stunning upset win over Abner Mares back in Aug. 2013 that landed him the WBC title, he was inactive until winning a technical decision over Clive Atwell on May 24.

It wasn't a sparkling performance, but the 32-year-old Mexican veteran had almost a year-long layoff to deal with.

He's a big-time puncher as evidenced by his first-round decimation of Mares, and his 47 knockouts in 64 fights.

At some point he wants a rematch with Mares. It would be a major draw—especially in the Mexican boxing community.

But a fight with Donaire would be big as well. Either way, Gonzalez stands to make a good amount of cash.

IBF Champion—Evgeny Gradovich (18-0, 9 KO)

The IBF title holder is known as "The Mexican Russian" because of his fighting style and heritage. He is also in action on Saturday in Macao. He doesn't figure to have many problems with Alexander Miskirtchian, though.

Miskirtchian is slow and untested, so anything short of a dominating performance from Gradovich would be a surprise.

Gradovich is the lesser-known of the champions and potential opponents for Donaire. He's also the youngest and one of the most dangerous. A bout with Donaire could be spectacular.

Gradovich never stops coming forward, and he has foot speed that is reminiscent of Ricky Hatton. It makes for a tough matchup for any opponent.

Stylistically, his hard-charging approach against Donaire's hand speed and flashy counters could create quite an impact.

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Simpiwe Vetyeka is looking to pull his second-straight stunning upset when he faces Nonito Donaire in Macao, China, on Saturday night.

Vetyeka dominated previously unbeaten Indonesian legend Chris John in his last fight. In the process, Vetyeka captured the WBA Super World Featherweight Championship.

Now he faces Donaire in what will be an interesting bout stylistically. Donaire knows this is a huge fight for him.

There are those who believe his time as a pound-for-pound great are over. According to Lem Satterfield of Ring Magazine, Knockout Nation's Andreas Hale said this of Donaire:

It's obvious that Nonito Donaire isn't the same fighter who was considered the heir to Manny Pacquiao's throne and had a stellar 2012 campaign.

With that concept as motivation, Donaire seems intent upon proving the doubters wrong.

Donaire spoke about the fight at Thursday's pre-fight press conference in Macao. Per Karl Freitag of FightNews.com, Donaire said:

2013 was a year I would say was covered in darkness, but that’s how life is…for me this is a new beginning with Vetyeka. He’s an amazing fighter and we understand what he’s capable of. For us this is a statement, regardless of whether I have it or not. And that’s something everyone will be excited to see. And we’ll find out Saturday.

Donaire looked good at the weigh-in, as you can see below. Now it's time to show and prove in the ring.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uukVs057bZU

Here's a look at the Tale of the Tape and analysis of the matchup.

(Information per BoxRec.com. Donaire profile, Vetyeka profile.)

Donaire	Category	Vetyeka
32	Wins	26
2	Losses	2
0	Draws	0
21	KO	16
5'5.5"	Height	5'7"
126	Weight	125.5
68"	Reach	67.5"
Philippines	Country	South Africa

Experience

Donaire has more overall experience, and he also has more world championship rounds.

The Filipino Flash has 79 rounds fighting for or defending a world title. Vetyeka has just 18 if you count his 12-round battle with Daud Cino Yordan for the IBO crown.

Macao has proved to be a friendly spot for Filipino fighters of late. Manny Pacquiao bouts in Macao have seemed almost like fights in Manilla for him because of the largely pro-Pacquiao crowd.

Expect Donaire to have a similar following. That makes the environment all the more in his favor.

Length

Even though Vetyeka is an inch-and-a-half taller, Donaire's reach is a half-inch longer.

Thus there should be no real advantage for either man here. Jeffrey Mathebula gave Donaire some problems with his jab and length. But Mathebula is 5'11" with a reach of 72 inches.

Vetyeka clearly won't have that type of an advantage with his jab.

Power

Vetyeka isn't really a one-punch-knockout type of fighter, but he does have some pop. He batters opponents and can stop them with cumulative punishment. This is how he took apart John.

Can he find Donaire—a more elusive target—as frequently?

We'll find out on Saturday, but one thing is for sure, Vetyeka must beware of Donaire's nasty left hook in the process. 

Donaire proved he still has the thunder to stop an opponent with one shot.

That's what he did against Vic Darchinyan, and Vetyeka must be careful not to fall prey to Donaire's power.

Speed

Even if Donaire has lost a bit of the zip on his punches, he's still quicker than Vetyeka. The champion isn't a plodder, but his punches are clearly more methodical and take more time getting from point A to B.

Because of this dynamic, Vetyeka is better-suited closing the distance and making the fight more of a brawl.

Styles Make Fights

In recent bouts, Donaire has been looking to land the one big shot to end the night. In his prime, he was more of a boxer-puncher.

Having returned his father to his training camp, the two promise The Filipino Flash will get back to his original style.

Donaire Sr. told reporters at the pre-fight press conference, per Box Nation/East Side Boxing:

Nonito got away from what made him great – his speed and footwork in combination with his power. Last year he just came forward, didn’t move his head and relied too much on his power, and that’s exactly the wrong way to fight a pure boxer like Rigondeaux as we all saw.

If Donaire can return to his roots as a sticker and mover, Vetyeka won't have much of a chance.

The champion needs his opponent in front of him to have success. Lateral movement will give Donaire the angles and accentuate the speed advantage.

All signs point to a Donaire win, but this is boxing and anything can happen.

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Is Nonito "Filipino Flash" Donaire still one of the pound-for-pound best in boxing? Not if he can't beat WBA featherweight champion Simpiwe Vetyeka on Saturday night in Macao, China.

That's meant as no disrespect to Vetyeka. He earned his title by battering previously undefeated Chris John back in Dec. 2013.

But if Donaire were in his prime and still performing at the level he was when he flattened Fernando Montiel, Toshiaki Nishioka, Jorge Arce and Omar Narvaez (unanimous decision), he'd walk through Vetyeka.

However, since the unanimous-decision loss to Guillermo Rigondeaux and the birth of his son, Donaire hasn't looked the same.

Against Vic Darchinyan in Nov. 2013, in a rematch of a classic 2007 scrap, Donaire was getting all he could handle before he stopped the tough Armenian in the ninth round.

What's wrong? Maybe nothing. Perhaps Rigondeaux is just really that good. All signs point to that being true. El Chacal is 13-0 and made the tough Joseph Agbeko look like an amateur in their bout in Dec. 2013.

There's really no doubting Rigondeaux is one of the best in the business. But didn't we used to be sure Donaire was, too?

Maybe Darchinyan is just one of those awkward and tough guys who will always give Donaire a good fight.

That, too, isn't a preposterous statement. But perhaps the biggest reason Donaire isn't looking like a world beater anymore is because boxing is no longer the center of his world.

In this interview prior to the Rigondeaux fight, Donaire says that his soon-to-be-born son is all he thinks about. His demeanor when speaking about his upcoming bout with Rigondeaux is dismissive.

Anyone who finds fault in that is totally insane, but the truth of the matter is that athletes have to be selfish to be at their best. They have to place their preparation and practicing of their craft at the top of the mountain.

That's especially the case once they hit 30 years old and aren't blessed with the same physical gifts they had when they were in their 20s.

Donaire is now 31. 

Is he still vested enough in his craft to be an elite fighter? The questions that have arose from this article aren't the only of their kind.

In an article by Lem Satterfield of The Ring Magazine, Boxing Scene's Jake Donovan said: "The Fil-Am boxer-puncher was one of the best in the lower weight classes for the past seven years, but I believe his time passed."

Donaire wants to impress and silence all the doubters. Per Dino Maragay of The Philippine Star, Donaire said this during a pre-fight press conference: "Winning is important. But there's nothing better than a knockout. I don't predict all my fights but I always want to get a knockout."

A KO or TKO win would be big for Donaire. Vetyeka has never been stopped. A win like that would send a message to other featherweights and the boxing community that Donaire's back and ready to perform on an elite level.

If he's not impressive—or loses—all of the flash may be gone.

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There was a time not that long ago that Nonito Donaire looked downright unbeatable, but a stunning loss to Guillermo Rigondeaux and a massive struggle against Vic Darchinyan altered that reputation quickly.

The unanimous 12-round decision loss to Rigondeaux ended a winning streak that extended 30 fights and 12 years. What’s more, Donaire was dominated by Darchinyan for much of the fight before he eventually rebounded to knock out the challenger in the ninth round. Donaire even left with a fractured bone below his eye.

However, Donaire, who sports a 32-2 record with 21 knockouts, will look much more like the boxer who strung together 30 straight victories Saturday than the one who struggled in those two bouts.

Against WBA featherweight champion Simpiwe Vetyeka (26-2, 16 KO’s), Donaire will be chasing a world title in his fourth different weight class. While all the attention will be on the developments that occur inside the ring, it is actually Donaire’s family life that could have him primed for an impressive showing. 

Jeff Faraudo of the San Jose Mercury News explained why Donaire recently struggled with his boxing:

Back in Donaire's corner for this fight is his father, Nonito Sr., who sculpted his son's career from the start and had served as his head trainer. The two had a falling out several years ago because Nonito felt his father still treated him like a child.

The effects of the estrangement spilled over into the ring. Robert Garcia took over as primary coach, and Donaire's style gradually shifted from boxer to slugger.

After Donaire had a son of his own, though, he and his father reconnected.

Clearly, a father and son reuniting is more important than any boxing match could be, but in this case, it will also help Donaire in the ring. His father recently worked with Donaire as head trainer during a camp in the Philippines.

Donaire discussed why training with his father helps him prepare for matches, via Faraudo:

I'm starting to think again. Before I just would think of throwing a left hook. Now I'm trying to think of everything. My brain is starting to work all over again, which is good. 

My speed and power and the velocity of each punch is much greater. I feel good, I feel confident.

Despite the reunited family and training, Steve Kim of Max Boxing isn’t quite convinced yet that Donaire will return to his old form:

Regardless of those hesitations, we are talking about Ring Magazine’s Boxer of the Year in 2012, a fighter who will be extra motivated to avenge a difficult 2013. Vetyeka upset 10-year featherweight champion Chris John in his last fight, so Donaire will not be overlooking this match in the slightest.

Look for Donaire to come out early and establish some momentum. From there, he will use his famous speed and footwork to gradually wear out Vetyeka over the course of the fight. After all, they don’t call Donaire the “Filipino Flash” for nothing.

Working with his father again will help Donaire return to the tactical skill and speed combination that earned him so many consecutive wins in the first place. During his struggles, he was trying too hard to knock his opponents out, which ultimately cost him. With his father back in his corner honing his technique, Donaire will return to his old form. 

Vetyeka just happens to be the one standing in the way this time.

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Is Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire (32-2, 21 KO) done as a elite fighter? He doesn't think so, but he'll have to prove it against a tough champion on Saturday night at the Cotai Arena in Macao.

The 31-year-old from Talibon in the Philippines faces WBA featherweight champion Simpiwe "V12" Vetyeka (26-2, 16 KO) in a bout that could vault Donaire into the conversation with champions like Jhonny Gonzalez, Evgeny Gradovich and Nicholas Walters. The latter two also fight in Macao on the same card.

Vetyeka took the title from previously undefeated Chris John in Dec. 2013.

Now he'll battle another high-profile opponent in his first defense.

This could be an entertaining bout. Here's how you can watch the action.

When: Saturday, May 31 

Where: Macao, China at Cotai Arena

TV: 4 p.m. ET HBO 2 (Tape Delay) 

Live Stream: 9 a.m. ET BoxNation (subscription required, region restrictions)

The Book on Donaire

At one point, Donaire was in most boxing enthusiasts' top-five pound-for-pound fighters. But after he was beaten up by Guillermo Rigondeaux in April 2013, and showed little desire to commit to the sport, his stock took a drastic dip.

Against Vic Darchinyan in their rematch of a 2007 scrap, Donaire stopped the aggressive Armenian in the ninth round. However, Donaire didn't look great in the bout.

The fight was even on one score card, and despite knocking Darchinyan down one in the decisive round, Donaire only had a four-point lead on the other two judges' cards, per BoxRec.

Per Lem Satterfield of The Ring Magazine, Donaire suffered a broken cheekbone in the fight.

It could be that Rigondeaux is just really good—which he is—and that Darchinyan is just really awkward—which he is as well. But Donaire knows he has something to prove.

Per Satterfield, Jake Donovan of Boxing Scene says:

We keep hearing about how the next fight will be Nonito Donaire at his best and his most exciting. The Fil-Am boxer-puncher was one of the best in the lower weight classes for the past seven years, but I believe his time passed.

Donaire must use these types of comments as motivation. Per Marc Anthony Reyes of the Philippines Inquirer, Donaire said:

“It’s been a long time since I entered a fight as an underdog but that has inspired me more."

Everybody needs a little inspiration some time. 

The Book on Vetyeka

Despite the fact that a win over John doesn't mean what it would have four years ago, Vetyeka is in position to really make a name for himself.

Were he to follow up his upset win over John with a victory over Donaire, the entire boxing world would have to take some notice.

The 33-year-old South African turned a corner when he stopped Daud Cino Yordan in April 2013. That won him the IBO title, and his momentum continued after beating John.

Knocking off Donaire would easily be his biggest win. The fact that the fight will be seen by a national HBO audience only makes it all the more important to shine. 

Can he create even more Donaire doubters, or will his title reign be a short one?

Prediction

In an interview posted on YouTube by P4Pesco before the Rigondeaux fight, Donaire told reporters "if a guy is faster than me, he is going to give me a lot of trouble. If he's not, it's not going to be a good fight."

While Donaire was wrong about his prediction for his scrap with El Chacal, he was right in general.

Fighters without above-average speed aren't usually going to be a major issue for him. That's the case with Vetyeka.

While he isn't exactly a plodder, he doesn't have the smooth quickness that Rigondeaux possesses, nor the herky-jerky, improbable attacks that Darchinyan has.

Donaire should win this bout with his hand speed and explosive left-hand counter shots.

A seventh-round TKO seems logical.

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There’s no mightier fall in all of sports than what happens in boxing.

Just ask Nonito Donaire.

Last year, within the span of just one week, he went from being guffawed over and celebrated by the Boxing Writers Association of America as the best boxer of the previous year to being just about completely dismantled over 12 rounds by Guillermo Rigondeaux in what was the latter’s 12th professional fight.

Donaire fought just once more after, a rematch with Vic Darchinyan in November.

The two had met six years prior and had gone opposite ways since. While Donaire was near the top of almost every legitimate news outlet’s pound-for-pound list, Darchinyan had lost fights with just about every upper-echelon fighter he’d faced since.

Regardless, Donaire appeared sluggish and unsure of himself in the bout. Where in their first encounter, Donaire was fast, accurate and deliberate with his offense, in the second fight he appeared lost at times.

So lost, in fact, that by the time Donaire caught Darchinyan in Round 9 with the punch that started the technical knockout win, he was down on two of the three judges’ scorecards and only even on the other.

So is this guy still elite?

There’s lots to like about Donaire. He’s absurdly athletic and has real power in both hands.

His nickname, “The Filipino Flash,” is spot on, too. Donaire has fast hands and feet, and he’s able to move his body in and out of harm’s way so well that it looks at times as if his opponent is stuck in mud.

More importantly, Donaire is an accomplished professional. Look, it’s one thing to have talent, but it’s another thing altogether to actually do something with it.

Boxing history is filled with names of people you wouldn’t recognize who probably should have been elite-level superstars. Why? Because they didn’t know how to apply the craft.

But Donaire knows. The 31-year-old is a multiple-time world titleholder and appears to be on his way to more.

In fact, he has a chance to secure such against Simpiwe Vetyeka on Saturday in China. While Vetyeka isn’t the lineal champion of the division (that honor is vacant per the keeper of such things, the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board), he does hold the WBA featherweight title belt and is ranked No. 1 overall in the division.

While a win over Vetyeka wouldn’t prove Donaire is still elite, it certainly wouldn’t hurt the argument for him being so either.

Despite being 1-1 in his last two fights, Donaire is still one of the top talents in the sport.

Losing to Rigondeaux, arguably the premier fighter of the lower weight classes, is nothing to hold against him. That’d be the equivalent of saying Tim Bradley is any worse for having lost to Manny Pacquiao, or that Pacquiao is for having lost to Juan Manuel Marquez.

When elite fighters face each other, someone has to lose. The idea that one should craft a career to avoid losses is one that has only taken hold in recent history.

Throughout boxing history, the best almost always wanted to prove themselves as the best. That’s why all the great fighters you can think have multiple losses on their records.

Ray Robinson lost 19 times. Muhammad Ali lost five times. Roberto Duran lost 16 times.

Moreover, while it appeared Donaire was on his way to a sluggish loss to Darchinyan last year, he did manage to pull out the win.

In fact, shouldn’t credit be given for when a fighter looks slow and sluggish but still somehow finds a way to get the win?

Isn’t that what elite fighters do?

The jury is still out on Donaire. While he’s had a solid professional career thus far, he still has much of the ladder to climb if he hopes to reach the status his history and ability indicate he can achieve.

If Donaire hopes to make it all the way there, amid the folks at the very tip top of the pyramid, the Floyd Mayweathers and Andre Wards of the world, he’ll need to take care of Vetyeka first.

Because an elite fighter would.

Kelsey McCarson contributes to Bleacher Report, The Sweet Science and Boxing Channel. He is a member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. 

"Oh my God."

Although it was never quite verbalized, you could read the sentiment on the face of boxing champion Nonito Donaire.

In the second round, opponent Vic Darchinyan landed a pair of stunning left hands that had Donaire shaken. Fighting for the first time since losing badly to two-time Cuban Olympic champion Guillermo Rigondeaux, and for the first time since his wife Rachel gave birth to a baby boy in July, Donaire questioned exactly what he was doing in a squared circle with the likes of Darchinyan, a brutal Armenian brawler with power to spare.

Time and again Darchinyan lowered his head, sometimes nearly to waist level, and let loose with a thunderous left. Time and again Donaire took the blow, his own counter left flying too high to do the slightest bit of good.

"Is this it for me?"

Donaire admitted to HBO's Max Kellerman that the thought briefly crossed his mind as Darchinyan demolished his face, causing the 30-year-old Filipino to fear his cheekbone was broken.

But, a gamer through and through, Donaire kept his composure, or at least the appearance of it. For a professional fighter, keeping your head, even as that small voice inside is screaming that you can't possibly continue doing this to yourself, is half the battle. To continue stalwart and unflappable as the world falls apart all around is just part of the game for a boxer at the highest level.

And make no mistake—when he tried to box, even against the aging Darchinyan, Donaire was a man woefully ill-prepared for the job at hand. It was a fight designed for Donaire to win, and in spectacular fashion. Eventually, in the penultimate ninth round, he did so with a flurry of punches—but not before a fighter he dispatched with ease six years ago gave him fits.

The judges' scorecards speak volumes. Texas officials had Darchinyan up 78-74, 78-74, and 76-76 going into the ninth round. Short of the knockout, or a succession of knockdowns, Donaire was going to see a third check in the loss column. His plan to move backwards and counter Darchinyan was a complete failure.

"More than anything, Donaire is a puncher," Kellerman said during the fight. "...He's a puncher dressed up as a boxer."

If that was ever in doubt, it was revealed as the truth against Rigondeaux, a brilliant technical fighter and amazing tactician. If he hopes to win the rematch he called for after the fight, Donaire, and his dueling trainers, father Nonito Senior and Robert Garcia, have to embrace his limitations—and his strengths.

In a boxing match, he stands no chance against Rigondeaux. To resume his career where he left off, climbing the pound-for-pound ladder and poised to succeed Manny Pacquiao as the Phillipines' favorite son, Donaire has to dispatch Rigondeaux. To do so, he will have to leave boxing far behind.

For that fight, Donaire will have to be ready. Just verbalizing confidence will not be enough.  Athleticism, ferocity and his natural power will need to stand in for science. Donaire will need to force the kind of crazy exchange that punctuated the fourth round, a wild display of power punching that must have felt like a wind tunnel to boxing fans ringside. He'll need to repeat it time and again if he wants to avenge his loss against Rigondeaux.

Nonito Donaire is beginning a new chapter of his boxing career on Saturday night, and he will start it with a big win over Vic Darchinyan.

After winning 30 consecutive fights, Donaire lost his second bout ever in April, losing to Guillermo Rigondeaux by unanimous decision.  "The Filipino Flash" dropped to 31-2 in his career and lost his WBO and Ring super bantamweight titles.

Before that fight, he was on top of the world and considered by many to be the best fighter of 2012.  He was arguably one of the best pound-for-pound fighters, but now he's just on the undercard for Saturday as the co-main event.

While some seem to be doubting him, he will prove everyone wrong on Saturday with a big win over Darchinyan.

In 2012, Donaire couldn't be stopped, going 4-0 for the year with wins by knockout, technical knockout, split decision and unanimous decision.  His only other loss besides the one in April happened all the way back in March 2001, but he then went on a tear.

The fight on Saturday against Darchinyan is actually a rematch from 2007.  Donaire won the bout without much effort, taking down Darchinyan by fifth-round TKO.

Since losing to Donaire, Darchinyan's career has gone downhill.  That fight was his first loss, but he now has five of them after losing three of his last seven bouts.  At 37 years old, he is on the tail end of his career.

Donaire understands this.  He also knows that if he loses this fight, his career in boxing may be over. The hype surrounding him has faded since the Rigondeaux loss, and another loss now would officially kill it.

Fortunately, he's still a terrific fighter.  At 30 years old, he's taken down some tough competition and has shown some impressive power over his career with 20 knockouts.

The only real knock on him is that he doesn't always stick with the fundamentals. Sometimes he goes for style points instead of staying technically sound.  We saw this weakness exposed in April, but Darchinyan isn't as technical as Rigondeaux, so that shouldn't be an issue in this fight.

This is an ideal opportunity for Donaire to get back on track with a win.  In 2007, he dominated Darchinyan, who is well past his prime now in 2013.  

After losing just his second career fight, Donaire is beginning a new chapter in his boxing career.  With what we've seen from him and his opponent, he will win on Saturday and set a positive tone for the next chapter.

Three-division world titlist Nonito Donaire enters the featherweight division for the first time this Saturday night in Corpus Christi, Texas in a bout to be aired live on HBO. In an exclusive interview, Donaire told Bleacher Report he believes fight fans will see the very best version of him to date.

“For all the previous fights, really, it was all about losing weight—training to lose weight, not training for a game plan,” said Donaire. “That’s why my strategy, the way I fought, suffered a lot over the past few years.”

Suffered?

Donaire must have absurdly high expectations of himself. The hard-punching California resident has been outstanding throughout his entire professional career. In 2012, Donaire fought four times against top-notch opponents. He became the lineal junior featherweight champion after his Round 9 knockout of Toshiaki Nishioka.

For his efforts, Donaire earned BWAA Fighter of the Year honors, and the popular knockout artist started 2013 ranked among the top five in the world according to most notable boxing ranking bodies.

Still, Donaire says something was missing in his approach to boxing at the time—something that helped contribute to his April 13 loss to undefeated stylist Guillermo Rigondeaux.

“I just kind of relied on the power punch and just training and losing weight,” said Donaire.

Donaire just didn’t look the same that night. While Rigondeaux was fast, efficient and in command of the action for most of the 12 rounds, Donaire appeared lost and out-of-sync.

“I was not at my best that night,” said Donaire. “I’m not going to take anything away from the guy. He prepared well. He prepared for me well. He studied well. He trained hard for it. I just wasn’t there. I just didn’t show up that night, and that was my fault. I wasn’t focused enough. And hopefully I get an opportunity to prove I wasn’t my best that night.”

Donaire admitted he probably underestimated Rigondeaux a little bit, too.

“There is a little of bit of underestimation that you just kind of rely on something you have, your own weapons, my left hook—and his chin...his chin is suspect...so there were just a lot of things that went through my mind...and I just didn’t care for anything. To me, there were more things that were much more important at that time.”

What kinds of things were more important at the time?

“Like this little guy crying right now,” Donaire said with a smile as the sound of his infant son let loose some babble in the background.

Just two months after the loss to Rigondeaux, Donaire and wife Rachel welcomed their firstborn to the world, Jarel. Donaire said the experience of becoming a father has changed him for the better.

“I love being a dad,” said Donaire. “It’s amazing... You just kind of grow up a little bit and know what you really want and what direction you want to take in your career, your life and with your family.”

Donaire also believes fatherhood has helped him focus on his career as a fighter, where he believes he will soon rank again among the very best in the sport.

“It’s just...now I have to learn how to not take what’s outside that ring inside the ring. That’s pretty much what it is: separating my career from my family and just going with that. That’s something I’ve learned, and it’s something that’s going to be key for me...to stay focused on my task.”

The task at hand is a rematch with Vic Darchinyan, an aggressive stalker Donaire defeated by knockout in 2007. Hoping to recreate that kind of success, Donaire said he’s ready for Darchinyan’s style.

“Knowing the way he fights, he just doesn’t change...it’s probably going to be the same thing. He may try and box a little bit... But I think it’s going to be a similar type of fight as the first one.”

Donaire said Darchinyan would probably try to stay away from Donaire’s left hook this time, a punch that devastated the brawler in their first encounter.

“A guy like this is very dangerous, so I have to be at my very best.”

Donaire’s best is better than most. He said he and his team, which includes world-class trainer Robert Garcia, were on their way to making his in-the-ring skills better than ever by focusing on strategy and a wider arrange of punches.

“Now, we’re putting together good game plans. We’re doing everything. We’re feinting, throwing body shots—we’re doing all the things that you haven’t seen from me in a long, long time.”

And if that’s the case, you can expect to see Donaire’s name near the top of pound-for-pound lists again real soon.

Kelsey McCarson is a boxing writer for Bleacher Report and TheSweetScience.com. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained firsthand.

For Nonito Donaire, the route to Canastota, N.Y. seemed simple. Sure, it's a long way from his native Philippines or even his current home in California, but that's where the International Boxing Hall of Fame resides, in all its shabby glory. And Donaire was well on his way.

Three divisions, three world championships.

Wins over some of the best in his weight range, including Vic Darchinyan and Jorge Arce.

Startling power for a man weighing just 122 pounds.

Donaire was a budding star on HBO, disproving the idea that a fighter can't be a drawing card if they aren't at least a lightweight. Knockout wins over Arce and Toshiaki Nishioka launched him to stardom. HBO was all-in and the future seemed bright.

And then a speed bump appeared on what had been a blissfully easy trip. Guillermo Rigondeaux was supposed to be an easy mark, a former Cuban amateur penciled in as Donaire's final victim at 122 pounds before moving up to new challenges at featherweight.

Instead, Rigondeaux was everything a swarming action fighter like Donaire hates. He was disciplined. He was stingy with his punches, throwing an average of just 33 a round. Worst of all, he was elusive, turning what promoters and Donaire hoped would be an exciting fight into a miasma of despair, sucking all of the energy out of the room with his incredibly effective yet incredibly desultory defensive style.

It was, in truth, just one loss, his first since splitting his first two fights at the turn of the century. A single blemish after more than a decade of fighting. And yet it seemed to erase the 30 wins that preceded it. Boxing is all about what just happened, not what happened in 2007 or 2011. With that metric in mind, there was only one word to describe Nonito Donaire:

Loser.

Harsh? Certainly.

Unfair? Amazingly.

True? That's where things get tricky.

Some fighters never really recover from their first significant loss. Boxing, like all combat sports, is a much more mental game than anyone imagines. The physical differences between fighters are often negligible. So too the training regiments and skill sets. A fight between two evenly matched men can often boil down to confidence and attitude.

Donaire had it. Whether he will emerge with it is an open question. In addition to the loss and feelings of inadequacy, another challenger has emerged to battle for the fighter's time and attention—a six-pound, 12-ounce boy named Jarel, who was born Tuesday after an eventful final month in the womb.

“I think it’s gonna motivate me to get that hunger back again,” Donaire told ABS News. “I am just very excited, so I think that’s gonna be something that’s gonna propel me into something bigger.”

Fatherhood can soften a man, remove the sharp edges you need to prepare body and mind to batter another human being—and to receive that kind of punishment in return. Donaire, who admitted being distracted by his wife's pregnancy leading up to the Rigondeaux fight, will have to go to the gym every day leading up to a potential return this fall or winter and try to take his mind away from his wife and newborn back home.

That's a lot to ask of a man who may not have boxing in his heart. Donaire is a reluctant warrior, pushed, he says, into battle by a domineering father:

And all my life I wanted to be recognized by my parents, especially my dad. I hated boxing and I hated fighting but I did it because I saw the attention my brother was getting.

His own growing family offers an excuse to quit. Will he take it sooner rather than later? Donaire claims the opposite is true, that the loss and birth of his son have reignited a passion for boxing.

"I'm not talking away anything from Rigondeaux, because he beat me clearly and fairly," Donaire told Ring Magazine. "But my mind wasn't really 100 percent on the fight. I honestly didn't care about it that much. Most of the time, I was thinking about my kid. But I am glad that he beat me. I was seriously considering retirement, but that loss woke me up and told me, 'Hey, I don't want to quit. I want to do this for a lot more years.'"

And then there's the matter of weight. Donaire was rumored for a return bout with Darchinyan but may be too heavy to return to 122 pounds. He told Boxing Scene he was walking around at over 140 pounds and might come back at featherweight instead, likely against Orlando Cruz. Darchinyan, who has sought a rematch for years, was not amused:

No matter what excuses [you make] about weight, I am still going to break you the way I made you. Do not use steroids, think about your future and your weight will be good. I remind you again – I made you, I will break you.

For Donaire, and the division that revolves around him even after his loss, everything remains up in the air. He has expressed interest in avenging his loss to Rigondeaux, telling The Manila Standard he wants that fight "more than anything." His promoter, Bob Arum, told Bleacher Report that HBO has no interest in that fight.

Whatever he decides is next, the boxing world will be waiting with bated breath. Despite the lack of a "magic zero," Donaire is still a star capable of creating interest. In boxing, those kinds of fighters are few and far between. That means, even if it takes him a little time to find his way, he'll have every chance to continue on the road to Canastota, leaving Rigondeaux, and any lingering doubts, in his rear-view mirror.