NorCal's Donaire eager to add to résumé

NorCal's Donaire eager to add to résumé

Mark E. Ortega

Martinez News-Gazette

October 18, 2013

CARSON, Calif.--Saturday night at the Home Depot Center, San Leandro's Nonito Donaire added another respectable name to his résumé as he stopped the durable Toshiaki Nishioka of Tokyo, Japan in the 9th round of their HBO televised junior featherweight title fight in front of more than 7,500 fans.

Donaire became the recognized #1 fighter in the division with the victory, though many boxing fans are now hopeful he meets fellow Top Rank promoted fighter Guillermo Rigondeaux of Cuba at some point in the near future. Signs point towards Donaire instead fighting the well-traveled Mexican Jorge Arce, who is years past his best, but would no doubt make it a fight for as long as it lasts.



Donaire was able to handle Nishioka's awkward southpaw style, dictating a slow pace and outboxing his opponent for nearly the entire duration. The best action came in round six after Donaire dropped his opponent for the first time, igniting a fire in Nishioka that got him in an offensive mindset for the first time of the night. The two traded heavy blows until the bell signaled the end of the round.

The pace would slow again until the 9th, where Nishioka was finding success with Donaire backed against the ropes. That success came to a screeching halt when a Donaire straight right shotgun blasted Nishioka to the canvas. The long-reigning Japanese champion would make it to his feet, but his corner would stop the fight, bringing the contest to a close at 1:54 of the round.

With the win, Donaire makes a case as being the third best fighter pound for pound in the world behind Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao; though fellow Bay Area native Andre Ward is surely in those discussions as well.

On the undercard, junior welterweights Brandon Rios of Oxnard, Calif. and Mike Alvarado of Denver, Colo. engaged in perhaps the Fight of the Year as Rios outmanned his opponent to a 7th round TKO victory.

Rios was making his 140-pound debut and was looking to make a statement after two less than stellar performances that saw him earn victories where he was unable to make the 135 pound lightweight limit.

In this fight there was no controversy as the two fighters marched to center ring and pounded each other for more than twenty minutes. There were no lulls in action, and although Alvarado had the edge in technique, working his jab with tons of success early on, Rios was able to lure him into a war that Alvarado couldn't win. Alvarado had the superior handspeed, but Rios' will prevailed as it has in all his previous contests.

Both guys landed bombs all night and Alvarado gave the first sign of being hurt when in the 6th round he took a step back following a Rios right hand. That was all Rios needed to see as the momentum of hurting his opponent carried into the 7th, where he'd finish Alvarado.

The end came when Rios stiffened Alvarado with some punishing shots midway through the round. Alvarado could have taken a knee in order to try and continue, but instead stayed upright, taking more punishment until referee Pat Russell had no choice but to halt the fight at the 1:54 mark.

Promoter Bob Arum mentioned Rios as a possible opponent for the winner of Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez's fourth fight later this year, though the jump up in class would likely badly expose his shortcomings. Fight fans would prefer a matchup with Lucas Matthysse, arguably the toughest 140 pounder in the world aside from Rios, in a fight that promises fireworks. That bout is unlikely, however, due to the ongoing feud between Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions, who back Matthysse.