After an attempt to break free from Bob Arum and Top Rank Promotions, Filipino-American star, Nonito Donaire is back with the famed promoter and back on course to become, perhaps, the next big thing.
80-year-old Hall of Fame promoter, Bob Arum has seen and done it all over the course of his six decade involvement in the sport of boxing. Some may argue about whether Arum, overall, has been good or bad for boxing, but nobody can argue with the fact that few people have had as much of an impact on the sport as Arum.
Despite being a contractual wiz and, perhaps, one of the boldest, straight-faced truth manipulators in the long, shady history of professional prize fighting, Arum's greatest strength is matchmaking.
Arum's ability to sniff out quality targets for his fighters is second to none and he has used his talent to help build the careers and reputations of several of the sport's biggest names.
A matchmaking architect with an uncanny ability to target veteran fighters precisely at the moment they begin to become vulnerable, Arum's decisions allow for his talent to get full credit for beating world class names yet risk little when it comes to the actual in-ring opposition.
Follow the career paths of fighters like Oscar De la Hoya, Floyd Mayweather, Miguel Cotto, or Manny Pacquiao and you will see the promoter's handy work in action. Brought to the top via their considerable talent and ambition, they were made superstars with the help of skillful matchmaking by Arum.
De la Hoya, with an Olympic Gold Medal on his resume, was carefully brought along against increasingly recognizable names who were either on the downside of long careers or just about to begin their career descent. Names like John John Molina, Jorge Paez, and most famously, Julio Cesar Chavez helped turn "The Golden Boy" from interesting prospect into the biggest name in the sport and one of the biggest non-heavyweight draws of all-time.
Mayweather, also a decorated amateur and Olympic medalist, was brought along in a similar manner, against fighters whose name value, in some cases, was perhaps greater than their competitive value.
Puerto Rican star, Miguel Cotto, tore through a line-up of faded veterans and low-risk/big name foes like Cesar Bazan, Carlos Maussa, and Gianluca Branco en route to superstar status.
Filipino legend, Manny Pacquiao, has also benefited from shrewd and calculated matchmaking. Some would even say that Manny is Arum's masterpiece as far as smart opponent selection goes. The eight-division titlist has enjoyed a steady stream of faded resume builders ever since beginning his climb in weight in 2008. Of Pacquiao's six opponents since his demolition of fringe titlist, David Diaz at 135 lbs., five were coming off career-defining losses in their recent past and all six were considered to be on the decline.
Now, "The Filipino Flash," Nonito Donaire seems to be Arum's next upcoming star and the aged boxing mind of Arum is applying the same winning strategy to his rise.
In February, Donaire blew right through Fernando Montiel, stopping the Mexican veteran in two rounds and officially becoming a world class, main stage star in the process. Montiel, who earned much of his greatest success at flyweight and super flyweight, was a two belt bantamweight titlist at the time of his loss to Donaire and a legitimately well-regarded champion despite being above his optimal weight and, at a very seasoned 32, a little long in the tooth.
Later this month, Donaire will be back in action against 35-year-old undefeated veteran world titlist, Omar Narvaez, who is moving up one division to fight for the bantamweight title. While Narvaez is a current belt holder at super flyweight, he is best known for his work at flyweight.
Donaire will be entering the ring as a huge favorite and will have every physical advantage over his opponent. However, Narvaez will be a big name on Donaire's resume and, despite the real possibility of an easy blow-out, the win will go a long way in helping define the legacy of the Filipino-American star— even if other fighters would be significantly tougher opponents.
In boxing, perception is reality and a list of quality names is often more important to a fighter's legacy and earning potential than a list of quality fighters. Nobody knows this better than Bob Arum— and nobody plays the game better.
Paul Magno was a licensed official in the state of Michoacan, Mexico and a close follower of the sport for more than thirty years. His work can also be found on Fox Sports and The Boxing Tribune. In the past, Paul has done work for Inside Fights, The Queensberry Rules and Eastside Boxing.
Sources:
Boxrec, Boxrec Stats and Info, Boxrec
The Boxing Tribune, The Boxing Tribune Editorials and Fight Reports, The Boxing Tribune
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