Motorcycle accidents are no laughing matter so it was great to hear that Fernando Montiel escaped only with a fractured tibia after falling off his bike.
However the injury is substantial enough to put the planned fight between him and Donaire in jeopardy or be postponed for a awhile. Although his injury can heal in few weeks, it can take up to about four months to heal depending on where the fracture in the tibia is located.
Furthermore, for athletes specially boxers, it might even take more time to be able to completely perform at 100 percent after suffering leg injuries. Montiel surely will not be able to do much exercises such as running and riding a bike, so beside the healing time for his injury, he will need more time to rehab and reach the level of conditioning necessary for a fight against an elite fighter of Donaire's caliber.
In addition, it is not guaranteed that Donaire will be Montiel's opponent when he returns to the ring after he recovers from the injury. It is probably unwise for his handlers to pit him against Donaire instantly after such an injury, so Montiel might elect to have a tune up fight before the fight with the 'Filipino Flash.'
As a result, the fight with Donaire might not happen until the middle or latter part of next year. But the important thing for fans is for the fight to happen, so many fans might not see the delay as a big deal.
But unfortunately for Donaire fans, this is another big set back for the 'Filipino Flash.' Just when it seemed like the stars were finally aligned for Donaire to have another big break to fight an elite opponent, something unfortunate happens again. Right now it's just another fight against an elite opponent that falls through again.
Sure, the fight will probably just be delayed, but it also means that Donaire will again waste some precious prime years waiting for a chance to step up in the ring against a pound for pound caliber opponent. For an athlete, there are few things that are more important than maximizing their achievements during the peak of their athletic abilities.
Most of the top fighters in the division are already committed to the bantamweight tournament. Of course, there is Anselmo Moreno, but he is not under Top Rank, so a fight with him and Donaire faces a lot of uncertainty and questions. Will Top Rank pit Donaire against such a dangerous opponent, who is not under their banner before the fight against Montiel? Will Donaire accept a fight with Moreno for the same amount of money that he can make against a mediocre opponent?
However for the sake of his legacy and career he should make a fight with Moreno a priority if he defeats Sydorenko later this year. Donaire is not a young prospect and will be 28 years old next year. Most of the time, after turning 30, boxers begin to experience an erosion in their skills and physical abilities. Of course there are exceptions such as Hopkins, Mosley and others, but there are no guarantees that Donaire will be able to do the same. Although, Donaire is technically sound enough to be able to perform at a high level even if he loses some of his speed and reflexes.
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