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Nonito Donaire preparing to defend title against Jessie Magdaleno
The match between Jessie Magdaleno and Nonito Donaire is just an undercard match but it is certainly one that will draw viewers in their thousands. Many boxing followers are waiting to see whether Magdaleno can stop the Filipino and walk away with a world title for the first time ever in his career.
The two boxers will fight each other on November 5 under the undercard of Manny Pacquiao and Jessie Vargas. It will be a match that will see 33 year old Donaire strive to defend his super bantamweight world title against a much younger Magdaleno who is only 24. Magdaleno is being touted by some pundits as the toughest opponent the Filipino has ever had to face in the recent years.
Can Magdaleno thrash Donaire?
Can the southpaw fighter floor Nonito when they meet at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas? Well, if you look at Nonito’s recent performance, his American opponent does stand a chance of thumping him.
Nonito faced a humiliating defeat in October 2014 when he faced Nicholas Walters in a WBA Featherweight Unification fight at the StubHub Center, California. The Jamaican boxer beat him by a knockout to retain his WBA Featherweight title had been up for grabs.
Following his defeat at the Jamaican champion’s hands, Donaire had to move back to super bantamweight category and this too hasn’t been a very smooth ride for him. In July 2015, the four division champion again suffered a loss to Anthony Seattoul in a match that was called to a stoppage only after two rounds. The match took place at The Venetian Macau in China.
Donaire’s last fight of 2015 against Mexico’s Cesar Juarez had also been quite struggle for him. Even though he had ended up winning it by a unanimous decision, it had been quite a struggle for him in the middle and last rounds. He was evidently exhausted as the match neared its end.
Declining form
Aside from his not so impressive performances, Nonito’s form is also seen to be declining. He is no longer as swift in his feet as he used to be and his ability to endure strong jabs and fight on is also slowly reducing.
Talking of a fading form, Magdaleno himself has also commented on Nonito’s plummeting boxing abilities. Speaking to the press after arriving in Long Beach, California on Thursday to ready himself for the upcoming match, he described Nonito as being past his prime and not as energetic as him. Magdaleno will be training at Jackrabbit Boxing Club as he waits for the big day. He has since dyed his hair black in what he terms as an effort to blend in with the Californian vibe.
So what next?
Although Magdaleno looks like he stands a chance of beating his older opponent, you cannot really bet on this. Donaire is a more experience boxer and he will therefore be walking into the ring as a more confident boxer compared to Magdaleno. Confidence in the ring usually gives a massive boost in performance to any boxer.
Secondly, The Filipino Flash is known for his powerful and on target left hooks. These will certainly give the partly Mexican boxer trouble on the night of the fight.
A toe to toe fight
The fight between the two boxers is likely to be a toe to toe contest. Donaire will be fighting to retain his title while Magdaleno will be fighting to win a world title and build a stronger name for himself in the boxing sphere. It is a fight that to end only a few minutes into its start.
In terms of a possible knockout, Magdaleno is the one likely to knock out the other in the upcoming fight. At (23-0, 17 KOs), his knockout ratio stands at 74 percent. This is higher than that of his opponent ((37-3, 24 KOs) which stands at 65 percent.
Who will prevail? You will know the answer on the night of 5 November 2016.
