Nonito Donaire isn’t the force he once was, but possessed enough steely determination and hunger to beat relentless attacker Cesar Juarez at the weekend. Not only was the fight hugely entertaining and competitive, it also saw Donaire capture the vacant WBO Junior Featherweight title, meaning the ‘Filipino Flash’ can start calling some shots once again.
Donaire controlled the early stages of the fight, countering Juarez with hard shots, and scoring two knockdowns in the 4th. But Juarez threw himself right back into the fight, and began piling on some serious pressure when he was able to back up his foe on the ropes. Juarez lacked the finesse and variety of Donaire, but was more than prepared to walk through fire to land his own power shots.
The second half of the fight saw Donaire become a little too opportunistic, choosing to reserve his steam while firing counters. Donaire broke Juarez’s nose in the 10th, but found himself on the canvas in the closing seconds of the round. The referee ruled it a slip despite a punch landing, but the real reason for the fall could have been an ankle injury. We’ll probably never know.
Juarez upped the ante in the 10th, and looked to finish things in the remaining six minutes. Juarez’s blistering attack forced Donaire to leave everything in the ring, if only to stave of Juarez’s non-stop assault. At the final bell, both men were completely spent, almost collapsing from sheer exhaustion.
Official scorecards came in at 116-110 (twice) and 117-109, which seemed fair. Here at Boxing Base we saw the contest a bit closer at 115-111, however. Donaire now climbs to 36 wins, 3 defeats, 23 knockouts, while Juarez falls to 17 wins, 4 defeats, 13 knockouts.
Donaire vs Juarez was enthralling stuff, but you have to wonder just how much Donaire will have left for elite level opposition, and, whether he should have been involved in such a brutal war with Juarez. One thing we know is that Donaire, now 33, still has the heart and desire to go through hell to win a fight. And that’s a win for boxing and its fans.
What’s your take on Nonito Donaire vs Cesar Juarez? And what’s next for both men following this grueling encounter?
