MANILA, Philippines – World Boxing Organization super bantamweight champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire fought a good fight against Wilfredo Vazquez Jr., but he once again failed to live up to pre-fight expectations.

This, according to HBO boxing analyst and commentator Larry Merchant.

“I thought it was a good fight,” Merchant said in an Examiner interview. “I thought Vazquez fought him hard and smart, he just wasn’t good enough.”

Donaire defeated Vazquez via split decision to become the new WBO super bantamweight champion, and Merchant said the Filipino Flash fought a good fight and was the clear winner.

“But given all the hope and hype (Donaire) was the subject of, as a possible cross-over star, I don’t think he knocked anybody out,” Merchant added.

Donaire was a massive favorite going into the bout, and he said he wanted to put on a spectacular performance after his uneventful shutout win against Omar Narvaez in October 2011.

Although Donaire was dominant and even registered a knockdown in the ninth round, he failed to put Vazquez away, the second straight bout that he failed to knockout his opponent.

Merchant acknowledged that Donaire’s performance may have been affected by his left hand, which was injured in the early rounds.

“Hurting hands is a part of the game, particularly for a puncher,” he said. “But he found himself punching a bigger guy. I don’t know how that played into the injury he suffered.”

“Bigger guys have bigger heads and bigger necks. We’ll see down the road.”

Merchant noted that while Donaire is an entertaining boxer, it cannot be expected that he will keep on knocking out opponents the way he did Fernando Montiel when they fought last year.

“I’m not putting him down, I’m just saying everything can’t be based on his one-punch knockout of Montiel,” he said.

“But he fought a good fight, against a guy who was a bigger guy than he had fought before, and was called upon to do more and win more than just his power,” Merchant added.