Donaire Should Get A New Trainer

Very accurate on the bold. I guess Donaire was more patient against Nishioka, but I think that had more to do with Nishioka not providing much force. This allowed Donaire to be patient, especially considering how physically and athletically over-matched Nishioka was. Mathebula was a tall jabber so Donaire was forced to be the aggressor far more. There was no room for him to wait and be patient because he would've gotten out-boxed.

The speed thing was big too. Donaire relies so much on his athleticism. He wasn't used to being in with someone so fast. I don't believe Donaire was that timid. I just think he didn't really know how to hit Rigo. I saw him winging at air repeatedly. He tried, but he doesn't have the tools/skillset so it's easy to think he didn't try to let go. I saw Donaire run into punches trying to get off his own shots before that knockdown. I think he suspected Rigo wasn't really that hurt and was sort of demoralized.

I'm starting to learn this now it seems. I wasn't completely aware of this point, and honestly I don't get what Garcia does for Donaire then. What's the point, really? Do they have gameplans? Is he there just for the fight, because he did little to nothing to help Donaire with instructions or motivation or anything.

I was bumping an old thread so I do not think for a second that anything would've changed for this fight with a new trainer. Just to clarify. I thought Donaire sort of did what he always did. Once he realized he couldn't counter-punch and control range he needed to be the aggressor. It was a lose-lose because he isn't comfortable fighting that way but not good enough to fight his way.

I didn't make much of the getting back to his roots. To me, Donaire fighting Mathebula was in attempt for Nonito to become more well-rounded as a fighter. He was fighting a taller guy, and trying to challenge himself against different fighters & styles. When he said he was reverting to his old self, it just made me think that he was going to give up becoming a more well-rounded fighter, and just be the more patient counter-puncher he's comfortable with. But Donaire pretty early on clearly couldn't win that type of fight against Rigo. Rigo was clearly better at it, and Donaire didn't lose his composure and try too hard for the fans but understood deep down that he had to try to get aggressive. I agree he didn't give his roots much of a chance, but it wouldn't have mattered.

You're right about the "back to me roots" but it's not a good thing I don't think. It's a sort of "I'm content" and there's no room for growth sentiment. Even Donaire expressed that he lost his composure and got too reckless in the last two rounds. As if that's why he actually lost the fight. Him getting aggressor got him the knockdown, there was nothing wrong with that approach from a strategic point of view.