Nonito Donaire tames "The Menace" with his fists

photo credit: Scott Halleran/Getty Images

Nonito Donaire (31-1, 20 KOs), the WBO super bantamweight champion made short work of challenger Jorge Arce inside three rounds. The Filipino Flash blitzed El Travieso in the fight and into retirement with his fast and powerful hands. And as usual, Nonito Donaire made an emphatic statement with his fists on Saturday night at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.

The total number of punches thrown by Nonito Donaire belies his dominance but confirms the power packed in his hands: landing 27 of 93 punches thrown for 30% clip against Jorge Arce's anemic 13 of 96 connection for a mediocre 14% rate.

Jorge Arce (61-7-2, 46 KOs), the Mexican veteran, was never in the fight. Aside from skills and talent, the Filipino fighter's edge in all departments are enormous: the punching power difference was obvious, the reach advantage was glaring, and the disparity in size was plain to see. Yes, Jorge Arce was tailor-made for Nonito Donaire to be massacred.

It was apparent to the casual ring observer that Jorge Arce was intimidated by his opponent's reputation inside the ring even before he climbed into it. Thus, we can say, like many that came before him, Jorge Arce already lost the battle inside his head and only needed a validation of some sort inside the ring to confirm what he feared or believed.

Nonito Donaire is boxing's version of "The Great Intimidator." Yes, folks, that's what Nonito Donaire does to his opponents. How many times have we seen fighters with glowing records who melted under Nonito Donaire's glare? How many times have we seen boxers with solid ring credentials who tripped when they entered the ring with Nonito Donaire? Now we can add Jorge Arce's name to that growing list of Nonito Donaire's 'famous' victims.

After a ho-hum first round, Nonito Donaire sent an omen of things to come to the very wary Jorge Arce, with a short right straight down the middle that led to the referee's mandatory eight count on the Mexican in the second round.

In the fateful third round, Jorge Arce abandoned his cautious approach in favor of his old reliable style and decided to mix it up with Nonito Donaire. Big mistake, as the Filipino Flash quickly put an end to his night: a combination of a powerful right and three successive lefts put Jorge Arce on his back with less than a second left in the round.

Yes Houston, Nonito Donaire had no problem at all in disposing Jorge Arce in his usual 'boring' fashion. Jorge Arce was easy pickings for Nonito Donaire and many boxing observers believed that we have not seen Nonito Donaire's best yet.

Maybe a fight with Abner Mares or Guillermo Rigondeaux, two of the best fighters in the division, will be the catalyst for the real Nonito Donaire to finally burst out of his shell?


Note: This article was first published on Detroit Fight Sports Examiner