By Dave Lahr: WBC/WBO bantamweight champion Fernando Montiel (44-2-2, 34 KO’s) was playing it nice at today’s press conference with challenger Nonito Donaire (25-1, 17 KO’s) to help promote their February 19th fight at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Montiel was way too nice for tastes, saying “It is a very important fight for me and a great opportunity to prove that I am one of the best fighters in the world. I expect a tough fight, but I also expect to win.”

That’s too nice. That’s not what I would have said about Donaire and how I was going to win this fight. I would have gone graphic and started telling the audience what I was going to do with Donaire once I got him in the ring. I’d be talking about breaking bones, knocking out teeth, ripping eyes open and spilling guts.

I would be looking to make a speech where people would be ready to throw up. Now that’s how you get the fear in your opponent and get some interest. I need to take Montiel under my guidance and teach him how to sell his fights. This guy is talking way too nice to Donaire. The guy is looking to take his titles away from him. Montiel needs to go primitive on Donaire and start going nuts before the fight.

I really don’t see this fight going well for little Donaire. He’s going to be dancing around on the outside, skipping around looking to flick his weak jabs out, when Montiel is going to stop that nonsense by plastering Donaire with a straight right to the head that’s going to stop Donaire in his tracks and cause him to start with the running. It’s going to be basically a night of cat and mouse as Montiel is forced to chase the reluctant Donaire around the ring all night, punishing him with brutal head and body shots each time Donaire stops for a second to catch his breath.