Donaire annihilates Montiel: Nonito is The Real Deal!

By Boxing News - 02/20/2011 - Comments

Image: Donaire annihilates Montiel: Nonito is The Real Deal!By Rod Bautista: Photo credit Zanfer boxing – If there were any questions if the hype and attention Nonito Donaire has been receiving is deserved, they were definitely answered Saturday night. Donaire’s destruction of Fernando Montiel in the 2nd round not only earned him the the WBC and WBO bantamweight title’s, but surely an early nomination for knockout of the year.

Donaire’s performance was so impressive that it prompted Max Kellerman to announce just as referee Russell Mora was stopping the fight, “ Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, Sergio Martinez you have company!”. Indeed they do. Ranked 5th on The Ring’s pound for pound list, Donaire defeated Montiel who was ranked 7th , and who most everyone predicted would prove to be Donaire’s toughest challenge yet.

As it turns out the man HBO’s Harold Lederman coined the hardest puncher in the lower weight divisions was clearly out matched from the opening bell. Donaire was clearly the quicker, more athletic fighter landing more significant power shots connecting both to the body and the head. A counter left hook that connected to Montiel’s head in the first round was a preview of the final blow as Donaire connected on a similar punch as Montiel landed a power right hand of his own. The left hook landed and floored Montiel with such devastating force that for a moment the former champ’s legs seemed to spasm before he stood up dazed. Donaire got in one more left/right combination before referee Russell Mora stopped the bout.

Since shocking the world with his KO of the year in 2007 against Vic Darchinyan Montiel has blown through all the competition that has been put before him. When asked by Kellerman what was next for him, Donaire responded that he wants to unify the Bantamweight division. Whatever it is that Donaire is planning to do one thing is for sure, “the Filipino Flash” is well on his way to stardom in the boxing world.

Roy Jones Jr. opined in his closing remarks that with Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s inactivity, that he considers Donaire to be #2 pound for pound behind fellow countryman Manny Pacquiao. Strong words from Jones who compared Donaire’s split from his father to his own evolution as a fighter. I found this quite fitting as I see similarities between Donaire’s speed and footwork and a prime Roy Jones Jr. While Max Kellerman stopped short of deigning him #2 he did say that you have to look at Donaire in the same way you do Pacquiao, Mayweather and Martinez.

One thing is for sure this knockout is very reminiscent of Pacquiao’s KO of Ricky Hatton, and Martinez’s KO of Paul Williams, and in many ways it will serve the same type of notice to the boxing world. As those big knockout wins propelled both Pacquiao and Martinez to the top of the pound for pound rankings and the boxing world, Nonito Donaire’s victory over a legitimate champion and warrior in Fernando Montiel is exactly the platform he needed for his coming out party. The spectacular fashion that he accomplished this feat certainly puts an exclamation point on it. Boxing and Manny Pacquiao may have their apparent, because the kid they call “The Filipino Flash” is definitely the real deal!



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