Nonito Donaire Vs. Zolani Tete: Who Wins And How?

Donaire via hadouken uppercut!!!

 

Tete via brutal KO round 3.

 

If it's the current incarnation of Donaire, I'd favor Tete. 2012 version...different story.

 

Prime Donaire might get outboxed. If the primitively skilled and robotic Mathebula was busting Donaire's face up with that jab. What do you think Tete would do? He's not flat footed, and he has some fluidity. His defense isn't bad, and he is a better boxer than Donaire is. He wouldn't need to win by KO, he'd thorougly outbox him. He has enough pop to keep Donaire honest.

Donaire has never shown me anything to suggest that he could deal with talented boxers. It's why he was kept away from Agbeko, and Moreno at 118. Recall Mthlane at 112, starting to catch his groove and put hands on Donaire before the fight was stopped on cuts. We all saw what Rigondeaux did. Vetyeka seemed to be having some success too before that fight was stopped.

 

A to B, has no bearing on how A to C would play out. Trinidad gave Joppy a beat down stoppage. Hopkins won a long 12 round decision against a more shopworn Joppy. Hopkins beat Trinidad fairly easy though. Tete would have stop everyone that Donaire stopped. He would have also KO'd the pint sized Narvaez who befuddled Donaire for 12 rounds.

 

Donaire drops tete early then proceeds to get beat up in the next 6 rounds. Tete via UD or SD. All Donaire's fight have that theme drops his opponent then loses the rest of the fight. Recently it happened against Ceasar Jaurez and Magdelano. Tete hasn't fought the same level or caliber of opponents though.

 

Whose lead hook land first?

 

A bit like Wilders power you mean...

 

I don't know your point here. Both men beat Joppy but yes styles played a role because Trinidad was a puncher and Hopkins wasn't (really). But they both still beat Joppy so there isn't really a triangle theory here.

As for Narvaez fight, did you actually watch that fight or did you just Boxrec it? Narvaez went in there to just survive, the guy never even tried to open up against Donaire and win. Narvaez lost every round but made it to the final bell, good for him but he didn't befuddle Donaire.

I don't know how Donaire-Tete plays out. I do know Donaire had one punch KO power at the weight. You had to be careful to not get clipped against Donaire. Is Tete that skilled? I don't know, from the limited footage I've seen I don't think so.

 

I'm familiar with Donaire's career. I saw the fight, when he stunk it up against the midget Narvaez on HBO. He was the bigger man by far, but didn't have the boxing IQ to get the much smaller Narvaez out of there. No way that guy should have lasted the distance. It was just another one of Arum's soft touches to build up his next Filipino star. I don't think Tete has Donaire's power. He fights in a totally different style than Donaire, and doesn't really go balls to the wall like Donaire used to. He's more calculating, and has better boxing ability. He's a safer boxer than Donaire was. Donaire new that he could usually just unleash the left hook on the smaller guys he was facing. Everybody doesn't have that type of natural power. Tete is content to box. If he sees and opening he will take it. If he doesn't, he won't worry about it. He'd definitely be Donaire's toughest opponent below 122 pounds. It would be a pickem to me, maybe lean slightly towards Donaire, as I don't have enough info about Tete yet, due to his limited opposition.

 

Tete by vicious knockout!

 

Prime v Prime = Donaire by KO.