By Dave Lahr: Photo credit Naoki Fokuda Harold Lederman, the HBO unofficial ringside judge, believes that WBC/WBO bantamweight champion Fernando Montiel (44-2-2, 34 KO’s) is the biggest puncher in the lighter weight divisions and hits as hard as a welterweight. These are my thoughts as well. Montiel, 31, has a huge fight tomorrow night against Nonito Donaire (25-1, 17 KO’s) at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Donaire is the favorite in this fight but Lederman disagrees with that, saying this should be considered an even fight. Boxing fans are going to get a real treat in watching the huge punching Montiel work on Saturday.

In an interview at examiner.com, Lederman said “I always loved Fernando Montiel. He’s an absolutely great puncher, a guy who could take you out in just one shot, certainly the best puncher in all the lighter divisions. I haven’t seen anybody that can crack like Fernando Montiel…I personally think this should be even money, because Fernando Montiel can punch like nobody else anywhere near 118. Fernando Montiel hits like a welterweight, that’s all there is to it. I think the oddsmakers are taking him a little too lightly.”

You can say that again. The oddsmakers must have watched too many of Donaire’s fights against fodder opponents like Wladimir Sidorenko, who came into the fight having lost two out of his last three fights. Montiel is still a mystery to some of these guys and he’s going to be educating a lot of these people on Saturday night when he opens up with his huge power shots and makes people realize why he’s the hardest puncher in the lighter weight classes. Donaire will likely start running from the first round once he tastes some of Montiel’s power shots. It’s going to be like a big cat chasing a reluctant mouse all night. Donaire ran from Rafael Concepcion in 2009, and I expect it to be much worse on Saturday night.