Donaire Should Get A New Trainer

If you're a fighter and want to fight a tall fighter the least you can do is have your trainer prepare you. It seemed Donaire came out well early and but on pressure as if he was watching Jack Dempsey tapes. Somewhere along the way he just stopped (I realize his leg started to hurt. That didn't help but that wasn't the issue. That also began to happen later). You can tell me Garcia prepared him and Donaire just reverted back to the way he always fought or fought stupidly. In my view Donaire needs a trainer that knows when to be lax and when to be more strict. Donaire fought the way he always fought and you could be right in thinking it's too much to ask for me to expect him to be able to change his style in just one fight. Personally,I feel Donaire is a unique fighter who actaully has the ability to fight with versatility. Since he wants to fight tall fighters he should strive for more well-rounded ability.

For me, the biggest issue is Garcia doesn't seem to give create corner advice. He always gives very general advice. Yes, Donaire needs to stop lunging and get wild. Yes, he should try to bang the body. What Donaire needed to do was jab on his way in... sometimes even doubling it. He needed to fight more strictly with a higher and tighter guard. He needed to stop showboating and jumping around. He needed to stop throwing that uppercut it was never landing, and he needed to not throw the right hand counter over the jab because his opponent was clearly too tall and could pull back and avoid it easily. The right hand from a mid-range was fine. But more importantly, Garcia needed to show urgency to get Nonito to change his mentality for this new opponent. Jab in, plant yourself and go downstairs and then up top. Shift right and throw the left hook and do your best to keep your lead left foot in the middle of his stance. Most importantly, don't throw punches and jump in and out. If you want to fight a tall fighter you got to try to stay on the inside. Donaire has genius too him, but it can get away from him. Often times, it can hinder him. Garcia is a little too easy going and a little too unassertive. It works as a good combination in some fights, but not in these types of fights.

Part of the blame falls with Nonito too. He does not fight well when he's forced to be the aggressor (Which is why he wouldn't fight necessarily well against a taller fighter). Donaire seems like a smart fighter if the fighters fights right into his strengths. The reality is that Donaire does not fight smartly, at least when he has to pressure. Part of it is his style and his habits, but the other part is a lack of adaptability. It may not be an issue of Ring IQ, but what's most important is he's not the most adaptability and well rounded fighter when he's clearly capable of being so.

I envy Donaire's explosions. It's top-notch. But he's too much showboat and go for the home run. He needs some refinements and workman like additions to his game. With height and a jab, Mathebula turned Donaire into an athletic puncher tonight. Too much flash from the Filipino Flash. Not enough sizzle, not enough substance.

 

There is no reason why he shouldn't be decently adept, especially if he wants to challenge himself by fighting tall fighters.

I may be putting too much slack on Garcia but I see vast amounts of talent and potential from Donaire that it's a shame he's not guided more properly and strictly. He needs to have his genius more directed and controlled.

I don't disagree. The problem is he lacks either direction or discipline or perhaps both.

He doesn't need changing, just refining. There's no reason a fighter of his abilities doesn't have the capabilities to be more well-rounded. He's far too one dimensional and limited for a fighter of his talent. It's unacceptable. Do people think Ward is just some anomaly with his versatility? He's for reasons that go beyond talent. He's disciplined, well-crafted, and old-school gritty type of a guy. Donaire is probably twice as talented as Ward but he's the antithesis of this. He's too much about showmanship and flash. I know it's in his damn nickname but someone's got to tell him. He can be a good fighter fighting like he does, sort of Roy Jones esque. He can be great if he learns to adapt and improve his craft. There's no reason fighters these days should be totally void of all ability and skill on the inside. Am I wrong to expect this much more. To expect some form of progression and improvement from a guy with such talent... such potential. After all, I didn't sign him up to fight a guy 5 inches taller. His performance is undeniably inspiring. It didn't have to be. You don't challenge yourself just to be challenged.

As for his opponent, I gave him 5 rounds. I think you can make a case he won 6 rounds. The scorecards were awful.

 

Language barrier aside, this is the perfect person for the job. He's disciplined and assertive enough in what he wants, and he's technically astute enough to fix the weaknesses and flaws with his game. He also has a track record of being able to discipline punchers well.

 

Ah, I would tend to worry Steward would go too far the other way in controlling Donaire. Making him an upright boxer-puncher too much. He would help him technically, but I don't think he would get him to fight the right plan needed for the opponent he just fought.

Personally, I'm not so concerned about Donaire's technical faux pas as much as his lack of versatility. Part of his impromptu spontaneity and creativity is not bad. It just needs to be harnessed better. In this type of a fight that showmanship was more or less useless.