Both guys on weight and ready to go
Carl Frampton (24-1,14KO’s) returns to action tomorrow evening at The SSE Arena in Belfast against Nonito Donaire (38-4,24KO’s). Both guys successfully made the 126lb limit today with Frampton coming at 125.2lbs while Donaire weighed 125.5lbs.
This bout will be for interim WBO Featherweight Title. Frampton is coming off a victory over Horacio Garcia where he didn’t exactly look his best. While Donaire best days are considered by most to be in his rearview mirror.
Donaire was once a promising champion that was heavily pushed by HBO and Top Rank until he suffered an upset loss at the hands of Guillermo Rigondeaux back in 2013. When Donaire lost to Nicholas Walters in 2014 by TKO almost all the talk of what he could be came to stop.
However, Donaire would go on to win the vacant WBO Super Bantamweight Title by defeating Cesar Juarez via unanimous decision. He then faced Jesse Magdaleno in his second defense and lost. At 35 years old you have to ask how much does the Filipino really have left.
Frampton picked up his first major title when he defeated Kiko Martinez to win the IBF Super Bantamweight Title in 2014. After making a couple successful defenses he picked up another world title when he defeated Scott Quigg to add the WBA Super Bantamweight Title and become a unified champion.
Frampton would eventually move up to Featherweight where he met Leo Santa Cruz and defeated him to become the WBA Featherweight Champion. They would have an immediate rematch in which Frampton suffered the first loss of his career, but had a good showing in both fights.
At 31, Frampton is the fresher fighter at this point but he must still be weary of the older man’s power. He is favored and should win this fight in front of his home crowd. Whether or not Donaire can beat Frampton remains to be seen but he still has the power to make anything happen.
By: Wilson Urena
