Good, bad, worse: Nonito Donaire ageless, Devin Haney fortunate

Good, bad, worse: Nonito Donaire ageless, Devin Haney fortunate.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=be4VU8M4wCQ&t=32s

Sometimes the best fighters give special performances. Sometimes they go beyond that, accomplishing something that will likely outlive them by many years.

Nonito Donaire’s effort against then-bantamweight titleholder Nordine Oubaali on Saturday night at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif., falls into the latter category.

The Filipino Flash methodically dismantled an unbeaten champion before finally putting him away in the fourth round to claim his ninth world title in three weight classes. And he did it at 38 years old, which is a division record for a new titleholder.

Donaire’s tactics weren’t complicated. He patiently waited for opportunities to counter his attacking opponent and did so with precision and power, which has always been the key to his success.

What’s harder to understand is how a man who turned professional 20 years ago and has fought an elite level for about 15 of them can still give virtuoso performances.

Donaire talked before and after the fight about mental strength and the resilience of one’s body if one takes care of it, as he does. Obviously, there is something to be said for what the man has been preaching.

That said, his ability to push the great Naoya Inoue to his limits in his previous fight and the manner in which he annihilated Oubaali a two-time Olympian, speaks to something more nebulous, something limited to a handful of fighters, something like magic.

Watching Donaire quickly reduce a good fighter like Oubaali to helpless prey at his age was like witnessing something impossible. That’s what made it so dramatic. I asked myself as it was happening, “How is he doing this after so many years?”

Magic.

Donaire expressed gratitude afterward, thanking everyone who played a role in getting him the opportunity to fight Oubaali. I thank him.

***

BAD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgx9wyKpHrY&t=23s

Devin Haney doesn’t deserve much criticism after his performance against Jorge Linares on Saturday in Las Vegas. After all, he defeated an elite opponent by a well-earned unanimous decision.

The problem for the 22-year-old was the manner in which he finished the fight.

Haney demonstrated for nine-plus rounds why he’s considered one off the brightest young stars in the sport. He boxed beautifully behind his superb jab, landing quick, hard power punches while always keeping defense in mind.

And one must admire his willingness to engage Linares as much as he did, which was an effort to stir the passions of fans. It was shaping up to be a brilliant performance.

Then, in the final seconds of Round 10, things changed in an instant. Linares, a strong puncher, buzzed Haney with a big right hand. The young man insisted multiple times afterward that he wasn’t hurt but I doubt many believe him.

He held much of the final two rounds, at first, it seemed, to regain his senses and then for unclear reasons. Was he simply wary of Linares’ power? Was he tired? Maybe it was a combination of both.

Bottom line: Haney’s behavior in Rounds 11 and 12 took some of luster off what was otherwise a fine performance, one that might’ve been his first career-defining victory.

Again, we shouldn’t be too hard on Haney. He looked good most of the fight and emerged with a clear victory. And he survived some adversity to do it, for which he arguably should be commended.

And he’ll probably be a better fighter going forward because of the experience he gained. That might not be good news for the other top 135-pounders and those at 140.

***

WORSE

Devin Haney holds his secondary WBC belt after his victory. David Becker / Getty Images

I still cringe when I hear people refer to “titles” like the one owned by Haney as legitimate. It’s not.

The WBC calls Haney it’s lightweight titleholder even though he sits below Teofimo Lopez, who outpointed Vasiliy Lomachenko to become undisputed champ in October.

Lomachenko won the WBC title by outpointing Luke Campbell in August 2019 and was later elevated to what the sanctioning body calls its “franchise” champion, a special designation that absolves the beltholder from facing mandatory challengers.

That’s when Haney was elevated to “full” titleholder even though he sat below Lomachenko and then Lopez, which is the cause of confusion that persists to this day.

The boxing world generally recognizes four sanctioning bodies, the IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO. Three of those organizations have 17 divisions, one (the WBC) has 18. That means 69 fighters could be champions if each body gets one per division.

Yet they’ve created more than one – sometimes more than two – in each weight class, clear evidence that the title system has spun out of control. To be clear: The more titles that exist, the less they mean.

Why do the bodies create more than one title? Greed. They charge a pretty penny to wear their pretty belts. The more the create, the more money and influence they accumulate.

Yes, the system is broken. And everyone buys into it nonetheless. The fighters love the shiny belts, the managers and promoters love to say they’re staging title fights for marketing purposes and the media goes along for the ride.

Boxing Junkie limits the mention of titles or minimizes them – calling Haney’s belt “secondary,” for example – but even we acknowledge them because readers expect it.

The good news? Haney could end up fighting Lopez for the undisputed championship. At least then there would be no more confusion.

***

RABBIT PUNCHES

Two aspects of the Donaire-Oubaali fight were arguably controversial. One, Donaire seemed to hit – and badly hurt — Oubaali a split second after the bell to end Round 3. Referee Jack Reiss ruled that the punch was legal and Donaire can claim he either initiated the punch before the bell or couldn’t hear it. However, I’m guessing Oubaali will forever claim that he lost his title in part because of a foul. And, two, Reiss was criticized for allowing Oubaali too much time to recover after the aforementioned punch, which put the Frenchman down. I tried to time what followed. Oubaali was given 11-plus seconds to get to his feet, in part because Reiss had to clear the area. And the loser had about 1 minute, 21 seconds from the time he got to his feet to recover. That’s because Reiss needed time to assess Oubaali’s condition. Frankly, I don’t agree with the criticism. Reiss is required by rules in California to conduct the assessment if a fighter’s ability to defend himself is in question. He could’ve stopped the fight but didn’t do so because he believed Oubaali was able to continue.

Gary Antuanne Russell demonstrated against Jovanie Santiago (14-2-1, 10 KOs) on the Donaire-Oubaali card why he’s considered one of the best prospects in the world. The brother of Gary Russell Jr. used controlled, coldly efficient aggression to break down an opponent who was supposed to be his most-significant test to date. A battered Santiago quit on his stool after Round 6 of the 140-pound bout. The younger Russell has now stopped all 14 of his opponents. To say he’s one to watch is an understatement. … Subriel Matias (17-1, 17 KOs) also made a strong statement on the Donaire-Oubaali card. The 140-pounder from Puerto Rico walked down and beat up Batyrzhan Jukembayev (18-1, 14 KOs) of Kazakhstan until the latter’s trainer decided he was taking too much punishment and ended the toe-to-toe brawl after eight rounds. Batyrzhan simply couldn’t cope Matias’ relentless output of power punches. Impressive performance. … Jason Quigley (19-1, 14 KOs) defeated Shane Mosley Jr. (17-4, 10 KOs) by a majority decision in an entertaining middleweight fight on the Haney-Linares card. Quigley, the one-time amateur standout from Ireland, remained a player in the 160-pound division with his victory. I doubt he could beat the top middleweights but he has probably earned a shot at one of them. I have to give Mosley some credit. I remember writing after his pro debut that he had little hope of succeeding but he has proved me wrong. He’ll never approach the heights reached by his father – that would be too much to ask – but he has turned himself into a solid fighter. … Azinga Fuzile (15-1, 9 KOs) gave a strong performance on the Haney-Linares card, stopping Martin Ward (24-2-2, 11 KOs) in eight rounds. The 130-pounder from South Africa can box and has some power. He also demonstrated mental toughness: He was coming off a crushing eighth-round knockout loss to Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov.

[lawrence-related id=20617,20614,20611,20606,20603]

Good, bad, worse: Nonito Donaire ageless, Devin Haney fortunate

Good, bad, worse: Nonito Donaire ageless, Devin Haney fortunate.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=be4VU8M4wCQ&t=32s

Sometimes the best fighters give special performances. Sometimes they go beyond that, accomplishing something that will likely outlive them by many years.

Nonito Donaire’s effort against then-bantamweight titleholder Nordine Oubaali on Saturday night at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif., falls into the latter category.

The Filipino Flash methodically dismantled an unbeaten champion before finally putting him away in the fourth round to claim his ninth world title in three weight classes. And he did it at 38 years old, which is a division record for a new titleholder.

Donaire’s tactics weren’t complicated. He patiently waited for opportunities to counter his attacking opponent and did so with precision and power, which has always been the key to his success.

What’s harder to understand is how a man who turned professional 20 years ago and has fought an elite level for about 15 of them can still give virtuoso performances.

Donaire talked before and after the fight about mental strength and the resilience of one’s body if one takes care of it, as he does. Obviously, there is something to be said for what the man has been preaching.

That said, his ability to push the great Naoya Inoue to his limits in his previous fight and the manner in which he annihilated Oubaali a two-time Olympian, speaks to something more nebulous, something limited to a handful of fighters, something like magic.

Watching Donaire quickly reduce a good fighter like Oubaali to helpless prey at his age was like witnessing something impossible. That’s what made it so dramatic. I asked myself as it was happening, “How is he doing this after so many years?”

Magic.

Donaire expressed gratitude afterward, thanking everyone who played a role in getting him the opportunity to fight Oubaali. I thank him.

***

BAD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgx9wyKpHrY&t=23s

Devin Haney doesn’t deserve much criticism after his performance against Jorge Linares on Saturday in Las Vegas. After all, he defeated an elite opponent by a well-earned unanimous decision.

The problem for the 22-year-old was the manner in which he finished the fight.

Haney demonstrated for nine-plus rounds why he’s considered one off the brightest young stars in the sport. He boxed beautifully behind his superb jab, landing quick, hard power punches while always keeping defense in mind.

And one must admire his willingness to engage Linares as much as he did, which was an effort to stir the passions of fans. It was shaping up to be a brilliant performance.

Then, in the final seconds of Round 10, things changed in an instant. Linares, a strong puncher, buzzed Haney with a big right hand. The young man insisted multiple times afterward that he wasn’t hurt but I doubt many believe him.

He held much of the final two rounds, at first, it seemed, to regain his senses and then for unclear reasons. Was he simply wary of Linares’ power? Was he tired? Maybe it was a combination of both.

Bottom line: Haney’s behavior in Rounds 11 and 12 took some of luster off what was otherwise a fine performance, one that might’ve been his first career-defining victory.

Again, we shouldn’t be too hard on Haney. He looked good most of the fight and emerged with a clear victory. And he survived some adversity to do it, for which he arguably should be commended.

And he’ll probably be a better fighter going forward because of the experience he gained. That might not be good news for the other top 135-pounders and those at 140.

***

WORSE

Devin Haney holds his secondary WBC belt after his victory. David Becker / Getty Images

I still cringe when I hear people refer to “titles” like the one owned by Haney as legitimate. It’s not.

The WBC calls Haney it’s lightweight titleholder even though he sits below Teofimo Lopez, who outpointed Vasiliy Lomachenko to become undisputed champ in October.

Lomachenko won the WBC title by outpointing Luke Campbell in August 2019 and was later elevated to what the sanctioning body calls its “franchise” champion, a special designation that absolves the beltholder from facing mandatory challengers.

That’s when Haney was elevated to “full” titleholder even though he sat below Lomachenko and then Lopez, which is the cause of confusion that persists to this day.

The boxing world generally recognizes four sanctioning bodies, the IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO. Three of those organizations have 17 divisions, one (the WBC) has 18. That means 69 fighters could be champions if each body gets one per division.

Yet they’ve created more than one – sometimes more than two – in each weight class, clear evidence that the title system has spun out of control. To be clear: The more titles that exist, the less they mean.

Why do the bodies create more than one title? Greed. They charge a pretty penny to wear their pretty belts. The more the create, the more money and influence they accumulate.

Yes, the system is broken. And everyone buys into it nonetheless. The fighters love the shiny belts, the managers and promoters love to say they’re staging title fights for marketing purposes and the media goes along for the ride.

Boxing Junkie limits the mention of titles or minimizes them – calling Haney’s belt “secondary,” for example – but even we acknowledge them because readers expect it.

The good news? Haney could end up fighting Lopez for the undisputed championship. At least then there would be no more confusion.

***

RABBIT PUNCHES

Two aspects of the Donaire-Oubaali fight were arguably controversial. One, Donaire seemed to hit – and badly hurt — Oubaali a split second after the bell to end Round 3. Referee Jack Reiss ruled that the punch was legal and Donaire can claim he either initiated the punch before the bell or couldn’t hear it. However, I’m guessing Oubaali will forever claim that he lost his title in part because of a foul. And, two, Reiss was criticized for allowing Oubaali too much time to recover after the aforementioned punch, which put the Frenchman down. I tried to time what followed. Oubaali was given 11-plus seconds to get to his feet, in part because Reiss had to clear the area. And the loser had about 1 minute, 21 seconds from the time he got to his feet to recover. That’s because Reiss needed time to assess Oubaali’s condition. Frankly, I don’t agree with the criticism. Reiss is required by rules in California to conduct the assessment if a fighter’s ability to defend himself is in question. He could’ve stopped the fight but didn’t do so because he believed Oubaali was able to continue.

Gary Antuanne Russell demonstrated against Jovanie Santiago (14-2-1, 10 KOs) on the Donaire-Oubaali card why he’s considered one of the best prospects in the world. The brother of Gary Russell Jr. used controlled, coldly efficient aggression to break down an opponent who was supposed to be his most-significant test to date. A battered Santiago quit on his stool after Round 6 of the 140-pound bout. The younger Russell has now stopped all 14 of his opponents. To say he’s one to watch is an understatement. … Subriel Matias (17-1, 17 KOs) also made a strong statement on the Donaire-Oubaali card. The 140-pounder from Puerto Rico walked down and beat up Batyrzhan Jukembayev (18-1, 14 KOs) of Kazakhstan until the latter’s trainer decided he was taking too much punishment and ended the toe-to-toe brawl after eight rounds. Batyrzhan simply couldn’t cope Matias’ relentless output of power punches. Impressive performance. … Jason Quigley (19-1, 14 KOs) defeated Shane Mosley Jr. (17-4, 10 KOs) by a majority decision in an entertaining middleweight fight on the Haney-Linares card. Quigley, the one-time amateur standout from Ireland, remained a player in the 160-pound division with his victory. I doubt he could beat the top middleweights but he has probably earned a shot at one of them. I have to give Mosley some credit. I remember writing after his pro debut that he had little hope of succeeding but he has proved me wrong. He’ll never approach the heights reached by his father – that would be too much to ask – but he has turned himself into a solid fighter. … Azinga Fuzile (15-1, 9 KOs) gave a strong performance on the Haney-Linares card, stopping Martin Ward (24-2-2, 11 KOs) in eight rounds. The 130-pounder from South Africa can box and has some power. He also demonstrated mental toughness: He was coming off a crushing eighth-round knockout loss to Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov.

[lawrence-related id=20617,20614,20611,20606,20603]

Nonito Donaire still has that magic at 38 years old

Nonito Donaire, 38, stopped Nordine Oubaali in four rounds to become the oldest bantamweight champ in history on Saturday.

Nonito Donaire’s present looks a lot like his distant past.

The 38-year-old Filipino-American, who won his first title with a crush left hook in 2007, used the same punch to take out Nordine Oubaali in the fourth round to become an 118-pound titleholder for the third time Saturday in Carson, Calif.

Donaire put the previously unbeaten Frenchman down twice in Round 3 and again the next – all from his signature punch, which is as big as any in the world pound-for-pound.

He has now won nine world titles in three divisions. And the latest just might’ve clinched a spot for him in the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

“I’m back, I’m back,” he said moments after the fight was stopped by referee Jack Reiss as Oubaali sat dazed on the canvas. “The king has returned.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=be4VU8M4wCQ

The king arguably returned in his previous fight, in which he pushed pound-for-pounder Naoya Inoue to his limits in a losing cause in November 2019. Donaire proved in that fight that he could compete with anyone.

Oubaali (17-1, 12 KOs) entered the fight at Dignity Health Sports Park as a two-time Olympian and an undefeated beltholder. However, he never tangled with the likes of Nonito Donaire, who was too big, too strong and too good for him.

Donaire (41-6, 27 KOs) fought patiently as Oubaali bounced and jabbed, waiting for opportunities to counter with his power shots. And when those opportunities came, he countered masterfully and with power.

The first knockdown was the result of a head-spinning left hook, which formed Oubaali to stumble forward and touch the canvas with his gloves.

The Oubaali camp will probably object to the second knockdown after watching it on video. Donaire arguably landed his second monstrous hook a split second after the bell, although it was close. Donaire could argue that he started the process of throwing the punch before the bell.

At any rate, it put Oubaali down and hurt him badly. Reiss allowed the fight to continue after looking closely at the injured fighter but no one would’ve criticized him had he ended the fight at the point.

Then Donaire ended the fight himself, punctuated a brutal barrage of hard punches with a final left hook to put Oubaali on his pants. That was all Reiss needed to see. The fight ended at 1:52 of Round 4, making Donaire the WBC beltholder.

Donaire broke his own record by becoming the oldest bantamweight titleholder in history with his victory. He was asked about what his accomplishment means to him in terms of his age.

“Being at this age is really not the question,” he said. “It’s my performance, my ability to grow. No matter how old you are, what matters is how strong you are mentally. … [And] I believe the human body is an incredible machine, an incredible thing if you take care of it.”

Nonito Donaire expressed gratitude to his supporters and called for an end to violence against Asian people after his victory.  Katelyn Mulcahy / Getty Images

Donaire is clear on who he wants to fight next: Inoue, who defends his IBF and WBA 118-pound titles against Michael Dasmarinas on June 19 in Las Vegas.

If Donaire gets that fight and wins, he have three of the four major bantamweight titles. He would then target the WBO title, which is currently held by John Reil Casimero.

“This is why I wanted to win this fight,” Donaire said. “That’s my next goal. That’s the only thing I haven’t accomplished in boxing … becoming undisputed. That’s my goal this year until I get there. I’m going to make that happen.

“The next phase is getting that rematch.”

Nonito Donaire still has that magic at 38 years old

Nonito Donaire, 38, stopped Nordine Oubaali in four rounds to become the oldest bantamweight champ in history on Saturday.

Nonito Donaire’s present looks a lot like his distant past.

The 38-year-old Filipino-American, who won his first title with a crush left hook in 2007, used the same punch to take out Nordine Oubaali in the fourth round to become an 118-pound titleholder for the third time Saturday in Carson, Calif.

Donaire put the previously unbeaten Frenchman down twice in Round 3 and again the next – all from his signature punch, which is as big as any in the world pound-for-pound.

He has now won nine world titles in three divisions. And the latest just might’ve clinched a spot for him in the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

“I’m back, I’m back,” he said moments after the fight was stopped by referee Jack Reiss as Oubaali sat dazed on the canvas. “The king has returned.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=be4VU8M4wCQ

The king arguably returned in his previous fight, in which he pushed pound-for-pounder Naoya Inoue to his limits in a losing cause in November 2019. Donaire proved in that fight that he could compete with anyone.

Oubaali (17-1, 12 KOs) entered the fight at Dignity Health Sports Park as a two-time Olympian and an undefeated beltholder. However, he never tangled with the likes of Nonito Donaire, who was too big, too strong and too good for him.

Donaire (41-6, 27 KOs) fought patiently as Oubaali bounced and jabbed, waiting for opportunities to counter with his power shots. And when those opportunities came, he countered masterfully and with power.

The first knockdown was the result of a head-spinning left hook, which formed Oubaali to stumble forward and touch the canvas with his gloves.

The Oubaali camp will probably object to the second knockdown after watching it on video. Donaire arguably landed his second monstrous hook a split second after the bell, although it was close. Donaire could argue that he started the process of throwing the punch before the bell.

At any rate, it put Oubaali down and hurt him badly. Reiss allowed the fight to continue after looking closely at the injured fighter but no one would’ve criticized him had he ended the fight at the point.

Then Donaire ended the fight himself, punctuated a brutal barrage of hard punches with a final left hook to put Oubaali on his pants. That was all Reiss needed to see. The fight ended at 1:52 of Round 4, making Donaire the WBC beltholder.

Donaire broke his own record by becoming the oldest bantamweight titleholder in history with his victory. He was asked about what his accomplishment means to him in terms of his age.

“Being at this age is really not the question,” he said. “It’s my performance, my ability to grow. No matter how old you are, what matters is how strong you are mentally. … [And] I believe the human body is an incredible machine, an incredible thing if you take care of it.”

Nonito Donaire expressed gratitude to his supporters and called for an end to violence against Asian people after his victory.  Katelyn Mulcahy / Getty Images

Donaire is clear on who he wants to fight next: Inoue, who defends his IBF and WBA 118-pound titles against Michael Dasmarinas on June 19 in Las Vegas.

If Donaire gets that fight and wins, he have three of the four major bantamweight titles. He would then target the WBO title, which is currently held by John Reil Casimero.

“This is why I wanted to win this fight,” Donaire said. “That’s my next goal. That’s the only thing I haven’t accomplished in boxing … becoming undisputed. That’s my goal this year until I get there. I’m going to make that happen.

“The next phase is getting that rematch.”

Gary Antuanne Russell beats up, stops Jovanie Santiago

Gary Antuanne Russell beat up and then stopped Jovanie Santiago after six rounds on the Nordine Oubaali-Nonito Donaire card Saturday.

There are now two important boxers named Gary Russell.

Gary Antuanne Russell, a younger brother of the long-reigning featherweight champ Gary Russell Jr., turned what was supposed to be a test against Jovanie Santiago into a brutal beat down on the Nordine Oubaali-Nonito Donaire card Saturday in Carson, Calif.

Santiago, who went the distance with Adrien Broner in his previous fight, quit on his stool after the sixth round of the scheduled 10-round junior welterweight fight.

Russell, who has stopped all 14 of his opponents, came out firing at the opening bell and was never really challenged. He fought with controlled aggression, landing precise, hard shots that quickly broke Santiago (14-2-1, 10 KOs) down.

Russell landed a right hook that forced Santiago to take a knee in Round 4 and battered him almost at will thereafter. The former U.S. Olympian delivered a particularly brutal beating in Round 6, which convinced Santiago and his handlers that enough was enough.

Russell, only 24, wasn’t ranked by any of the four major sanctioning bodies going into the fight. You can bet will be soon.

 

Gary Antuanne Russell beats up, stops Jovanie Santiago

Gary Antuanne Russell beat up and then stopped Jovanie Santiago after six rounds on the Nordine Oubaali-Nonito Donaire card Saturday.

There are now two important boxers named Gary Russell.

Gary Antuanne Russell, a younger brother of the long-reigning featherweight champ Gary Russell Jr., turned what was supposed to be a test against Jovanie Santiago into a brutal beat down on the Nordine Oubaali-Nonito Donaire card Saturday in Carson, Calif.

Santiago, who went the distance with Adrien Broner in his previous fight, quit on his stool after the sixth round of the scheduled 10-round junior welterweight fight.

Russell, who has stopped all 14 of his opponents, came out firing at the opening bell and was never really challenged. He fought with controlled aggression, landing precise, hard shots that quickly broke Santiago (14-2-1, 10 KOs) down.

Russell landed a right hook that forced Santiago to take a knee in Round 4 and battered him almost at will thereafter. The former U.S. Olympian delivered a particularly brutal beating in Round 6, which convinced Santiago and his handlers that enough was enough.

Russell, only 24, wasn’t ranked by any of the four major sanctioning bodies going into the fight. You can bet will be soon.

 

Nordine Oubaali vs. Nonito Donaire: date, time, how to watch, background

Nordine Oubaali vs. Nonito Donaire: date, time, how to watch, background.

FORMER FOUR-DIVISION TITLEHOLDER NONITO DONAIRE GETS A SHOT AT ANOTHER BELT AGAINST 118-POUND CHAMP NORDINE OUBAALI ON SHOWTIME.

***

NORDINE OUBAALI (17-0, 12 KOs)
vs. NONITO DONAIRE (40-6, 26 KOs)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2jCv_Dx1NI

  • Date: Saturday, May 29
  • Time: 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, Calif.
  • TV/Stream: Showtime
  • Division: Bantamweight
  • At stake: Oubaali’s WBC title
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: Oubaali 2½-1 favorite
  • Also on the card: Subriel Matias vs. Batyrzhan Jukembayev, junior welterweights; Gary Antuanne Russell vs. Jovanie Santiago, junior welterweights
  • Prediction: Donaire UD
  • Background: Oubaali is the titleholder but Donaire is the story. The Filipino-American, a former four-division titleholder, is coming off an inspiring performance in a title-unification fight against titleholder Naoya Inoue in November 2019 in Japan. Donaire lost a unanimous decision and his 118-pound belt but pushed Inoue harder than anyone before him, which demonstrated that he had plenty left in the tank in his mid-30s. He hasn’t fought since. Now 38, Donaire could be getting his final title shot in a fight that was originally scheduled for this past December. Oubaali is a two-time Olympian from France who has polished skills and unusual quickness. He will be making his third defense of the title he won by outpointing Rau’shee Warren in January 2019. He then stopped Arthur Villanueva in six rounds and outpointed Takuma Inoue, the latter fight taking place on the Inoue-Donaire card. Oubaali isn’t a youngster, either. He’s 34.

[lawrence-related id=5731,2651,2501,2482,2450]