AFTER eight months of waiting, boxing fans will finally get to see WBO/WBC bantamweight champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire (28W-1L, 18 KOs) defend his belts for the first time this Sunday against undefeated two division champion Omar Narvaez (35W-0L-2D, 19 KOs) of Argentina at the Theater in New York’s famed Madison Square Garden.
The 22-year-old Donaire is ranked No. 4 among the world’s best pound-for-pound list by Ring magazine. He has a four-inch height advantage over Narvaez and will be the bigger man once they bulk up after the weigh-in. Donaire is also 14 years younger and has the uncanny ability to fight right or left handed.
Narvaez reigned as WBO flyweight champion from 2002 to 2009 where he made 16 successful defenses before moving up to superflyweight. Among his victims are Carlos Tamara of Colombia and Filipino Rexon Flores. The 36-year-old Narvaez won the vacant WBO superflyweight belt last year with three defenses before invading the bantamweight ranks.
Only five of Narvaez’ 37 total bouts have been held outside of Argentina. This will be his first in the United States.
Donaire, who spent his childhood in Talibon, Bohol and Gen. Santos City before moving to California, reigned as IBF flyweight champion from 2007 to 2009 and was the interim WBA superflyweight titlist from 2009 to 2010.
Last February, Donaire stopped Mexican star Fernando Montiel in two rounds to annex the latter’s WBC and WBO bantamweight titles. He plans to move up to the superbantamweight division and face WBC champion Toshiaki Nishioka of Japan or WBO champion Jorge Arce of Mexico.