Nonito Donaire (Photo : Chris Farina/Top Rank)
Former five-division world champion, Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire (35-3, 23 KO's) may have had his clash with WBA Super Bantamweight champ Scott Quigg put on hold at the moment, but the Filipino-American is still hard at work for a bout that has yet to be announced.
Donaire, 32, was once considered a consensus top five pound-for-pound talent. His magnificent run which began with a scintillating knockout victory over then elite fighter Vic Darchinyan ended with a loss to the crafty Cuban, Guillermo Rigondeaux in 2013, but it hasn't stopped him from trying to reclaim his lofty perch atop boxing's food chain.
A fight on December 13 is in the works but has yet to be confirmed, and it is against Cesar Juarez. The bout is scheduled to take place in Puerto Rico, and will now be for the WBO super bantamweight title that was stripped from Rigondeaux due to inactivity.
Cesar Juarez (17-3, 13 KO's) is not a name you hear often when talking about the sport. He's a relatively young 24-year old with loads of potential. He was last seen in a 12 round unanimous decision victory over Juan Carlos Sanchez Jr. in Sinaloa, Mexico, and is currently riding a four fight winning streak.
Donaire on the other hand is a winner of his last two, both by 2nd round technical knockout. Although his last two opponents haven't exactly been high caliber opposition, Donaire is still considered a dangerous fighter in his decision by any means, and will give any challenger a run for his money.
Ultimately however, Donaire's aim is to get back in title contention and if the bout with Juarez goes as planned, he could end up getting his wish.
There's no denying Donaire the raw talent that he is famous for. The problem with Donaire has always been his focus and his drive to succeed. When Donaire is on point, he's tough to beat and I wouldn't bet against him. Oftentimes however, Donaire has difficulty getting up for fights big or small, and needs to motivate himself to fight at his optimal pace.
Nevertheless, this upcoming opportunity is huge for Donaire and will be good to close out the year. If Donaire can defeat Juarez and recapture a portion of the super bantamweight title, it would put him in position to seek a rematch with Rigondeaux which he would most likely take.
Even without Rigondeaux however, Donaire still has plenty of opponents to tap at a 122 pounds, including Carl Frampton and Quigg who quietly wait in the wings.
