Donaire KO win over Montiel tops for 2011

It was a left counterpunch that nobody saw coming. Especially not Fernando Montiel.

Nonito Donaire Jr.’s sensational second round annihilation of the feared Mexican title-holder to wrest the WBC and WBO bantamweight titles at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas last Feb. 19 was enshrined in the sport by ESPN and RingTV.com as Knockout of the Year for 2011.

Fighting for the first time in the bantamweight division against no less than a three-division champion in Montiel, Donaire used his natural quickness and powerful fists to fend off the Mexican warrior in the first round.

Then the end came in the second round.

As ESPN.com recounted it: “Montiel landed a short right hand, but Donaire came over the top immediately with a pinpoint counter left hook to the side of the face. Montiel never saw it coming. As he was falling into Donaire on his way to the mat, Donaire got in a little window-dressing right hand to the head.”

Montiel tried to get up, but his body betrayed him. His legs twitched in a scary way while his hands laid outstretched.

Referee Russel Mora, showing too much respect for the fallen champion but little concern over his safety, green-lighted him to go on. But Donaire, all fired up, swarmed on Montiel in an instant, forcing the referee to thankfully stop the carnage.

The slam-bang fight easily eclipsed that of Nabuhiro Ishida’s first-round KO of James Kirkland in April, according to RingTV pool which gave the Donaire-Montiel fight 78.1 percent in readers’ voting.

source by Marc Anthony Reyes,  Philippine Daily Inquirer

Read More

Donaire takes on heavier sparring partners

Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire Jr. is taking on heavier sparring partners for his fight against heavy-handed Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. of Puerto Rico.

Donaire is climbing the 122-pound class to battle Vazquez for the WBO title.

Donaire’s chief sparring partners for this training camp are Russia’s Evgeny Gradovich and Mexico’s Javier “Pelos” Garcia, according to Examiner.com.

The 25-year-old Gradovich is an undefeated featherweight (126 pounds) while 22-year-old Garcia fights as a lightweight (135 pounds).

Donaire will need to fortify himself against Vazquez, who has scored 18 knockouts in 21 professional wins.

The Filipino Flash, who has 18 knockouts in 27 victories, will fight Vazquez at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas on February 4.

Donaire is the reigning WBC and WBO bantamweight champion. He will relinquish the crowns upon climbing the super bantamweight ranks.

source by abs-cbnNEWS.com

Read More

Donaire's demolition of Montiel earns SI.com's KO of the Year award

Nonito Donaire's sensational second-round disposal of Mexican Fernando Montiel for the World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight titles has been cited by SportsIllustrated.com as one of the best in its annual Boxing Awards.

SI.com, the website of the popular sport magazine, named Donaire's demolition of the durable former champion as 2011's Knockout of the Year.

Donaire, 29, dropped Montiel with a solid left hook two minutes in the second round of their 12-round title match at the Mandalay Bay Resort Hotel and Casino on February 19.

Although the 34-year-old Montiel managed to get up and survived the standing eight-count, the Mexican was obviously hurt by his bigger and stronger opponent. Donaire went on and pressured Montiel, dominating the champion before referee Russel Mora decided to the stop the fight at the 2:25 mark.

"Yes, Montiel got up from the crushing overhand left that nearly caved in half his face, but he only lasted a few seconds before the referee stepped in to save him," said the article that accompanied the Knockout of the Year choice.

"Couple that with the significance of the match-up–both Donaire and Montiel were pound-for-pound guys going at it in a highly anticipated bantamweight bout, the knockout becomes that much more impressive."

It was Donaire's second honor of such magnitude.

His stunning fifth-round KO win of the cocky Vic Darchinyan for the International Boxing Federation (IBF) flyweight belt four years ago was also chosen as 2007's Knockout of the Year.

Acknowledged among the top five pound-for-pound fighters in the world today, Donaire successfully defended his WBC and WBO 118-pound titles with a 12-round unanimous decision over Omar Andres Narvaez of Argentina two months ago at the Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Donaire returns to action in February where he will challenge Puerto Rican Wilfredo Vasquez Jr. for the vacant WBO super-bantamweight title. — JVP, GMA News

Read More