The incomparable Nonito ''Filipino Flash'' Donaire defends his WBC/WBO bantamweight titles against Argentina's WBO super flyweight champion Omar Andres ''El Huracán'' Narvaez at  Madison Square Garden's WaMu Theater in New York this Saturday night. Normally, action amongst the lightest weight divisions causes barely a ripple in the ocean that is world boxing (wrongly), but when Nonito Donaire takes to the ring – every boxing fan from Bradford to Bangkok sits up and takes notice. The Filipino, who has previously held the IBF flyweight and WBA interim super flyweight titles is dominant in the lighter weight classes in a way that few men have ever been in boxing history. 

One would have to look back at the reign of arguably the greatest bantamweight of all time – Mexico's Carlos Zarate – for another fighter who would start as overwhelming favorite against any opponent – no matter how great. Zarate was already 39-0 with 38 KO's (!) when he won the WBC bantamweight title in 1976. A physical freak at 5' 8'', Zarate went on to defend his crown nine times in three years – all by knockout. The bantamweight division is like the welterweights of the little men – always super competitive as a weight class, and with an abundance of legendary champions, like Zarate, Eder Jofre, Manuel Ortiz, Ruben Olivares, Panama Al Brown, Fighting Harada and Alfonso Zamora among many others. 

Whether Nonito Donaire will go down in history as one of the great bantamweight champions is doubtful – the power punching 5' 7'' Filipino is already looking to move up to featherweight and beyond in the near future. His ambition is to emulate his compatriot and idol (and fellow southpaw) Manny Pacquiao and win world titles all the way up to welterweight, and considering the way he has been hammering his opponents so far in his career, who would bet against him? 

28 year old Donaire (26-1, 18 KO's) exploded onto the boxing scene when he kayoed the fearsome Australian based Armenian Vic Darchinyan in five rounds for the IBF flyweight title in  2007. Darchinyan was rightly considered one of the biggest punchers on the planet pound-for-pound at that time, and had never been on the canvas as an amateur or pro. The previous year he had defeated Donaire's older brother Glen on a six round technical decision after the elder Donaire sustained a broken jaw.

Nonito vowed to avenge his brother's defeat, and showed no fear or respect for Darchinyan, dominating from the opening bell and completely outclassing his rival before applying the coup-de-grace in the fifth – a single thunderous left hook that ended the fight by knockout. Overnight, a new boxing superstar was born.

 

Since then Donaire has won world titles at super flyweight and bantamweight, and defeated such top fighters as Luis Maldonado, current IBF flyweight champion Moruti Mathlane, Raul Martinez, Rafael Concepcion and Herman ''Tyson'' Marquez - the current WBA flyweight champ. 

His fourth round TKO of the brave but totally outclassed Ukrainian Vladimir Sidorenko, himself a former WBA bantamweight champion, makes compelling viewing on youtube, but only if you have a strong stomach - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7M6Y_F9V06c . 

Early this year, Donaire showed the boxing world that if anything, he is actually getting better. Mexico's Fernando Montiel was on paper the best opponent Donaire had ever faced. Montiel was already a three weight world champion with a 70 % knockout ratio when Donaire challenged him for his WBO and WBC bantamweight titles in February. Surely such a devastating puncher as Montiel would command the respect of Donaire? 

Although the two are actually good friends outside of the ring, it was business as usual inside the ropes for the Filipino, as he put on his most impressive performance yet, crushing Montiel in two rounds. After a cautious opening round, it was the Mexican who started more impressively in the second, and backed Donaire up with fast combinations. 

Although officially a southpaw, Donaire will often box an entire bout from an orthodox stance, and it was from this position - when under attack from Montiel - that he unleashed what is possibly the punch of the year – a venomous left hook to the jaw of the soon to be ex-bantamweight champ that sent him crashing down to the canvas, his legs twitching uncontrollably. 

Incredibly Montiel just managed to beat the count, and the referee made the mistake of letting the bout continue. It could have been a fatal error had he not had a change of heart a second later, jumping in before Donaire could land any more hurtful shots. 

It was a spectacular win that sent reverberations throughout the boxing world. If there previously had been a 'Big Three' of Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather and Sergio Martinez at the top of the pound-for-pound tree, now there was a 'Big Four.' 

On Saturday night in New York, Omar Andres Narvaez will attempt to do what no man has done since Donaire's second pro bout and defeat the man who looks fast tracked for boxing immortality. 

The current WBO super flyweight champion, 36 year old Narvaez (35-0-2, 19 KO's) would look to have an impossible task ahead of him. At 5' 3'' he will be giving away four inches in height and the same again in reach to an opponent who already holds advantages in youth, skill, speed and power. 

Narvaez is a solid boxer who can mix it up to the head and body from his southpaw stance. He is a teak tough warrior from Argentina who is undefeated in thirty seven fights, and has been a pro since 2000. Narvaez was previously the WBO flyweight title holder, making sixteen defenses, and is undefeated in 21 consecutive world title fights. 

Since moving up to super flyweight, Narvaez has scored five straight decisions. At bantamweight, he will have even less firepower, and if the heavy hitting Montiel couldn't keep Donaire at bay, what hope does Narvaez have? 

The inescapable fact is that Narvaez is going to take a shellacking on Saturday night against Donaire. The Filipino is so freakishly large at the bantamweight limit, he often looks like a schoolyard bully beating up on one of the smaller kids, and I fear this will be the case against Narvaez. 

Because Narvaez is a proud unbeaten warrior, and a pretty good defensive technician, I see this one going a few rounds, which is bad news for the Argentinian. He will most likely get pot-shoted to pieces by Donaire, and I see him taking a pounding before being saved by the referee in the sixth round. 

Donaire by TKO in six. 

Big Fight Odds: Nonito Donaire 1/20,  Omar Andres Narvaez 9/1 bet365