By Eric Thomas: Super bantamweight Fernando Montiel (49-4-2, 37 KO’s) will be facing Jaderes Padua (8-2-1, 5 KO’s) this Saturday night in a scheduled 12 round bout in Hotel Azul Ixtapa, Ixtapa Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, Mexico.
Montiel, 34, is trying to turn his career around to get another title shot against one of the super bantamweight champions. However, Montiel hasn’t been looking good as of late, as we saw in his last fight against little known Giovanni Caro last November where Montiel had to struggle hard to win a narrow 12 round unanimous decision over him.
Montiel was beaten by Victor Terrazas last year by a 12 round unanimous decision, and the year before that, Montiel was knocked out in two rounds by Nonito Donaire in a crushing defeat. It’s kind of been downhill for Montiel since the loss to Donaire. Part of the problem is that Montiel simply doesn’t have the size to be fighting at super bantamweight.
Montiel would be much better off if he moved back down to super flyweight where he was more of a dominant fighter. However, it must be difficult for him to take the weight off to get back down to that division. Super bantamweight is an easier weight class for Montiel to make, and the money is clearly better for him than him staying down at super flyweight.
Montiel is taking no chances with his next fight after he barely beat Caro. Padua should be someone that Montiel can trounce fairly easy. If not, then that’s a sure sign that Montiel needs to retire because he’d be kidding himself about his career if he can’t beat the likes of Padua.
At this point in his career I don’t really know what Montiel can do. He’s not going to beat WBA/WBO super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux, and he already got beat by Terrazas, so there’s no point in his fighting Terrazas again. Donaire is out of the question because he’s got problems of his own right now after having been beaten by Rigondeaux.