3 reasons why Nonito Donaire can be greater than Manny Pacquiao

Nonito Donaire Jr. has finally arrived. With his recent demolition of former bantamweight king Fernando Montiel – sending the tough Mexican to the same wonderland Ricky Hatton went to after Manny Pacquiao put him to sleep – Donaire cemented his place among boxing's elite.

Shortly after Donaire's virtuoso performance, the inevitable comparison to Pacquiao flooded several boxing message boards and post-fight articles. That's because in his recent fights, Donaire somehow displayed an aura of invincibility that Pacquiao has remarkably showcased since his bout with David Diaz (except for the rematch with Juan Manuel Marquez and the Antonio Margarito fight). More importantly, Donaire knows how to punctuate fights like the Pacman, as evidenced by his latest string of knockout wins.

Donaire's win over Montiel, as noted by some observers, signals the arrival of a potential successor to Pacquiao as the face of boxing. Why not? The clock is ticking for our beloved Pacquiao, while Donaire's has just been activated.

While it's a consensus that there's only one Manny Pacquiao, Nonito Donaire, also from General Santos City, can have a more remarkable boxing career. See the emphasis on the word can (I don't want Pac-maniacs to come cursing at me). Let's discuss why:

1. Age – The most obvious factor. Pacquiao is 33, while Donaire is 28. Thirty-three is more like 40 in boxing. Nevertheless, Pacquiao is still at his peak, but so is Donaire. In a year or two, Pacquiao's natural gift of speed may diminish, while Donaire still has lots of time to hone his physical gifts further. The wear-and-tear, a sub-department of age, is also a no-brainer.

Sure, at 28 years and beyond, Pacquiao has beaten a murderer's row of fighters while leaping from one weight class to another. But Donaire, being a tall bantamweight at 5-foot-7, can do the same or even better. Remember, Donaire also won his first world title at flyweight. He's capable of campaigning at different divisions and go fishing for many belts like Pacquiao did.

Consider this: the prospect of Donaire fighting young punching dynamos such as Abner Mares, Yuriorkis Gamboa, Juan Manuel Lopez (all undefeated), and God-knows-who-else-might-arrive is – in my opinion – more enticing than Pacquiao facing robots and human punching bags like Hatton, Joshua Clottey, Oscar De La Hoya and Margarito.

In short, Donaire has all the time in the world to chart his path to greatness.

2. Style – I've said this before and will say it again: Donaire's everything Pacquiao is not when it comes to having a “science” in his fighting. Nonito is a seasoned boxer-puncher who boasts a good jab and can counter-punch someone to hell (paging Vic Darchinyan). Picture a more aggressive and powerful Gerry Penalosa, who arguably is the best pure boxer the Philippines has produced. Additionally, Donaire is a switch-hitter, meaning he can turn southpaw during fights to puzzle his foes.

While we all admire Pacquiao for his volume-punching and overwhelming speed, those still leave him open to counters (although only Marquez capitalized on this). It's the other way around for Donaire, a thinking fighter who studies his opponents in the ring to land well-timed counters. This is a recipe for a longer career since he gets hit less compared with Pacquiao. And a longer career means more chances to face more elite fighters.

You can argue that Manny's style works (of course, against Margarito and company? Why not?) But I say Donaire's style is tailored for the long term and will most probably work against opponents with various styles.

3. Crossover appeal

Yes, Manny owns Nonito in this department – for now. Then why mention it? Simple. Donaire has just arrived. He has just beaten his Marco Antonio Barrera in Montiel. More importantly, his fluency in English, having been raised in San Leandro, California, boosts his chance to tap into the North American market and the rest of the world.

It took a 30-year-old Pacquiao the De La Hoya fight to catapult himself to national consciousness in the US. I won't be surprised if Donaire becomes a household name in the US by next year.

So there you go. Donaire has the luxury of time. As long as he makes the right career decisions and remains dedicated to his craft, he's definitely going places. As the great Larry Merchant said on Donaire's road to greatness: “There is no rush.”

Now, doesn't it feel great to say “Manny's got company?”

Rambo Ramblings:

– The blog entry above pertains only to boxing. Hands-down, Pacquiao is and will always be a god while Donaire is just a mere mortal off the ring. You can say you own someone when you earn the right to record an album, endorse everything found in a sari-sari store, shoot a box-office flop, run for Congress, and sport a Justin Bieber hairdo.

– Some observers have blasted referee Russel Mora for letting Montiel continue even after Donaire turned him into a twitching zombie with that jackhammer left hook. But I disagree, because if there's an elite fighter who deserves the chance to get up after a brutal knockdown, it's Montiel. And he did get up, props to him.

– And for the idiots who even felt the fight was stopped prematurely, I pity you.

– Was it just me, or did everyone else feel that Kobe just won't let that All-Star MVP trophy slip away? After all, he was playing his last All-Star game in Los Angeles.

– Speaking of the All-Star game, why so serious, LeBron?

– Studio 23, the new home of the PBA, had something new to offer at all: vanishing in-game commentary.

– Good for Carmelo Anthony to finally get his wish for a Knicks jersey. But for the team's core? Now what, New York?

– Which mall will the Azkals visit next? I mean, which mall will the Younghusband brothers visit next?

– Stuck in the office with no TV? Are you based overseas and missing the PBA? Fret not. Philstar.com will start live streaming PBA Commissioner's games starting at 5pm today. Catch the action at www.philstar.com/pbalive.