Boxing News 2011: Donaire Delivers Pacquiao-like KO

Image by Getty Images via @daylife
Manny Pacquiao no longer has a monopoly on astounding performances by Filipino fighters.

Nonito Donaire made sure of that with one monstrous left hook to the head of Fernando Montiel that in effect ended a much-anticipated bantamweight showdown before 4,805 Saturday at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino.

Montiel fell flat on his back, was somehow able to stagger to his feet but the fight was stopped after a quick combination by Donaire at 2:25 of the round, giving the Filipino-born American Montiel’s two 118-pound belts.

The knockout itself was breathtaking, the sheer drama of the moment drawing a gasp from an evenly divided crowd.

Andre Ward, a close friend of Donaire, spoke for everyone when he said simply: "WOW!"

The even-more astonishing aspect of the moment was who Donaire knocked out. This was no chump. This was one of the best fighters in the world, a tested veteran who is rated No. 7 on THE RING’s Top 10 pound-for-pound list and had lost only two close decisions in his career.

http://ringtv.craveonline.com/blog/126861-donaire-delivers-pacquiao-like-second-round-ko

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Boxing News 2011: Head to head: Montiel-Donaire

Image by Getty Images via @daylife
FERNANDO MONTIEL vs. NONITO DONAIRE
When: Saturday, Feb. 19
Where: Las Vegas (Mandalay Bay)
TV: HBO, 9:45 pm. PT/ ET
Weight: Bantamweight (118 pounds)
Title(s) at stake: Montiel’s WBC and WBO

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Skills:
Edge: Even

Power:
Edge: Montiel

Speed and athletic ability:
Edge: Donaire

Defense:
Edge: Montiel

Experience:
Edge: Montiel

Chin:
Edge: Even

Conditioning:
Edge: Even

Wear and tear:
Edge: Donaire

Corner:
Edge: Montiel

Outcome: Donaire will start the bout with a steely focus, popping the sharpest jab of his career. Yet, Montiel will brim with confidence. Donaire will score with his jab while a constantly moving Montiel tries to rattle him with foot feints and lead power shots. Donaire will keep an uncommonly high guard, which will protect him from Montiel’s scary counter punches long enough to land a hard straight right that sends the Mexican back on his heels at the start of the fourth round. Donaire will get overexcited in his pursuit of an early knockout and momentarily drop his hands as he tries to finish his foe. With his back to the ropes, Montiel will make Donaire pay for the defensive lapse, hurting the Filipino with a double hook to the body and head. The two will exchange blazing combinations until the end of the round, bringing the crowd inside the Mandalay Bay’s Event Center to their feet. Having tasted each others power, both fighters will box a little more cautiously in the middle rounds and the bout will become an intense chess match. Montiel will continue to taunt and goad Donaire from a distance in hopes that the bigger man abandons his jab and attacks. However, Donaire will keep his jab going and the effects of his left stick will be evident on the puffy, purple eyes of the dual titleholder by the eighth round of the bout. Sensing Donaire’s growing confidence and possible points lead, Montiel will take more chances in rounds nine and 10, and the veteran will hit pay dirt when he takes half a step back to evade a Donaire right hand and explodes forward with a counter left hook that puts the Filipino fan favorite on queer street in the final minute of the 10th. Montiel will attempt to finish Donaire, but the wounded boxer will survive with constant movement (even on wobbly legs) and the threat of sneaky uppercuts. Montiel will try to swarm Donaire at the start of the 11th round but he’ll discover that his rival recuperates quickly and run into three-punch combination that staggers him into the ropes. Donaire will cautiously press Montiel with long-range jabs, right hands and body shots that punish the more experienced fighter. However, Montiel will survive with slick upper-body movement and by grabbing and holding his tormentor. The two boxer-punchers will let it all hang out in the final round. Boxing on his toes, Montiel will pop in and out of range, landing single power shots (some of which are flamboyant bolo punches that get a rise out of the fans). Donaire will stalk flat footed and look to do real damage with hard combinations. They’ll end the round with extended flurries that electrify the crowd and prompt press row to declare the bout an early fight of the year candidate.

Prediction: Donaire by close but unanimous decision.

http://ringtv.craveonline.com/blog/126715-head-to-head-montiel-donaire

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• "Nonito Donaire Smashes Fernando Montiel in Two Rounds" and related posts (badlefthook.com)
• HBO Boxing After Dark | Nonito Donaire Knocks Out Fernando Montiel! (arkhilario.com)
• Nonito Donaire Completes Bantamweight Conquest with Knockout of Fernando Montiel (bleacherreport.com)
• Boxing - HBO: Fernando Montiel vs Nonito Donaire live streaming (oleole.com)
• 'Filipino Flash' KOs champ in 2nd (sfgate.com)

Boxing News 2011: Montiel, Donaire battle for supremacy

Image via Wikipedia
The fight poster that adorns the light boxes throughout Mandalay Bay advertises the much-anticipated showdown between unified bantamweight titleholder Fernando Montiel and top-10 pound-for-pound fighter Nonito Donaire. Near the top, above their photos and under the words "World Championship," the poster reads, in big, bold letters: "Mexico vs. The Philippines."

Besides crowning the top bantamweight in the world, the fight at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on Saturday night (HBO, 9:45 ET/PT) is all about nationalistic pride in the latest installment of a growing rivalry between the boxing-mad countries.

"This fight between Nonito Donaire and Fernando Montiel -- everybody who follows boxing knows it will be a great fight, but the interesting thing for me about this fight [is] the countries where these fighters come from, the Philippines and Mexico," Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said. "There is almost frenzy about this fight. I was informed that in the Philippines there are two one-hour [television] specials promoting the fight, and they are expecting a huge audience on Sunday morning, which is their time equivalent of when the fight will be aired.

"In Mexico, there is tremendous anticipation and great media coverage. It is my hope that the enthusiasm that is coming from the Philippines and Mexico permeates in the United States, that people that follow boxing and casual sports fans watch this fight on HBO because it truly will be a great fight for the sport of boxing."

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/columns/story?columnist=rafael_dan&id=6134944

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