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: Montiel-Donaire: Can't-miss drama

Image by Getty Images via @daylife
Ask an expert who he believes will win the Fernando Montiel-Nonito Donaire fight on Saturday and he or she will probably sigh before serving up an answer with minimal conviction. Donaire is a 3-1 betting favorite but most believe it’s a pick-‘em fight.

And why not? This is a rare matchup of two complete, hard-punching fighters on most pound-for-pound lists -- Donaire No. 5, Montiel No. 7, according to THE RING -- who are at the peak of their abilities.

Montiel (44-2-2, 34 knockouts) has flown under the radar for much of his career, the victim of his diminutive size and the overwhelming popularity of such Mexican icons as Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales and Juan Manuel Marquez.

The San Francisco Bay product appeared to have his break-through moment when he stopped then-unbeaten Vic Darchinyan in fifth-round of their 2007 fight to win a 112-pound title. But the triumph led only to more low-profile fights.

Donaire, 28, served notice in his most-recent fight that remains a force, though, dominating and then stopping former bantamweight titleholder Wladimir Sidorenko in four rounds in December. He looked superhuman.

http://ringtv.craveonline.com/blog/126827-montiel-donaire-cant-miss-drama

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• HBO Boxing After Dark | Nonito Donaire Knocks Out Fernando Montiel! (arkhilario.com)
• "Nonito Donaire Smashes Fernando Montiel in Two Rounds" and related posts (badlefthook.com)
• HBO Boxing After Dark | Fernando Montiel vs Nonito Donaire, Jr. (arkhilario.com)