Montiel Crushes Silva, Wins Vacant WBO Bantamweight Title

By Boxing News - 03/29/2009 - Comments

montiel32453By Manuel Perez: Two time World Boxing Organization super flyweight champion Fernando Montiel (39-2-1, 29 KOs) stopped Argentinean Diego Oscar Silva (24-2-3, 12 KOs) in the 3rd round of a scheduled 12-round bout on Saturday night for the vacant WBO bantamweight title at the Plaza de Toros, in Tijuana, Mexico. Montiel, 30, knocked Silva down three times in the fight, once in the 2nd and two more times in the 3rd.

The fight was stopped after the 2nd knockdown in the 3rd round when Montiel nailed Silva with a short left hook, putting Silva down face first on the canvas. Referee Raul Caiz stepped in and halted the bout at 2:44 of the 3rd round.

Montiel, who vacated his WBO super flyweight title in April, got off to a slow start in the 1st round, having problems with Silva’s heavy pressure and taking shots. Silva, 25, made it hard for Montiel by rushing him constantly in the round and throwing shots as he came dashing forward.

Towards the end of the round, Montiel seemed to have figured out Silva’s odd style, picking him off with a hard left uppercut as the round was ending.

In the 2nd round, Silva continued to rush forward and land shots. However, Montiel met him with a big right hand on one of these occasions with one minute to go in the round, and seemed to hurt Silva. In the final seconds of the round, Montiel timed Silva perfectly as the Argentinean came rushing forward, hitting him with a hard right hand to put him down.

After Silva got up, Montiel hit him with a big left hand to the head and perfect left uppercut that seemed to rattle Silva further.

At the start of the round, Silva ran straight at Montiel throwing shots as he came forward. Montiel blocked both shots and came back with a short left hook to the head that put Silva down for the second time in the fight. After the knockdown, Montiel began to get a little cocky, switching to southpaw and lifting his right arm up as if he was loading it up to throw.

Montiel then nailed Silva with a big right and then a lead left when Fernando was fighting in the southpaw stance. For the next minute, Montiel toyed with Silva, hitting him with left hooks to the head and right uppercuts. With little time left in the round, Montiel hurt Silva again with a right uppercut to the head, and then blasted him with a short left hook that sent Silva crashing down on the canvas face first. Referee Raul Caiz then stopped the fight at 2:44 of the 3rd.

Montiel looked nothing short of superb last night, fighting for only the second time at bantamweight. There are talks of Montiel possibly fighting Vic Darchinyan, the IBF/WBA.WBC junior bantamweight champion in the future. If so, that would be an excellent bout, because Montiel has tools to beat Darchinyan.

With his left hook, Montiel can use it to tag Darchinyan on the way in similar to how Nonito Donaire was able to do in his 5th round stoppage victory over Darchinyan in July 2007. Darchinyan has no defense against a left hook, and will have major problems against a fighter like Montiel.