FLASH AND FURY IN SAN JUAN
By Rene Bonsubre, Jr.
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 13 Dec 2015
What started as a one-sided affair transformed into a life and death struggle.
Nonito Donaire was the heavy favorite going into this fight against the younger and less experienced Cesar Juarez. With the WBO super bantamweight world title and his boxing future on the line, Donaire brought his A-game in the early rounds.
His lateral movement and jab controlled the bullying Mexican and Donaire hurt Juarez with a left uppercut to the body and a left to the ribs in the second canto.
A lesser boxer would have fallen. But Juarez showed that he was no William Prado or Anthony Settoul.
In the fourth, Donaire?s vaunted left hook figured prominently in two knockdowns. But Juarez continued to charge. He caught Donaire on the ropes in the fifth round and in the pivotal sixth, a slip made Donaire limp and vulnerable at the end of the round.
Just like a jungle predator, Juarez smelled blood and he also drew blood in the subsequent rounds; Pushing and punishing Donaire on the ropes like a bull turning the tables on the matador.
Photos by Sumio Yamada.
Donaire caught Juarez coming in with straight rights and crosses that would have felled a horse. Sequences from the eighth round onwards brought back memories of another immortal battle ? the first fight between Aaron Pryor and Alexis Arguello.
Donaire moved around the ring but Juarez still managed to corner him and unleash one brutal volley after another. Donaire?s shots were more accurate and they snapped Juarez?s head back on several occasions. But Juarez just kept coming back.
In the eleventh, Donaire seemed ripe for the taking but he managed to dig deep and the fighters closed the show with breathtaking exchanges in the final round.
The judges? scores of 116-110 (twice) and 117-109 gave Donaire another world title fourteen months after losing to Nicholas Walters.
Donaire and Juarez entered a place where only true warriors can experience and appreciate. A place where fatigue, pain and blood take a back seat.
Juarez can hold his head high. He can tell his grandkids someday that he took the Filipino Flash?s left hook and released his own brand of brutality.
Donaire?s victory is an early Christmas gift to Philippine boxing.
There were whispers among boxing pundits that our so called Golden Age is headed for a quite sunset.
Donaire is now 33 years old. Critics may point out that he did not finish the job in the fourth round. But his courage has given fans so much more.
Donaire, Juarez and their Battle in San Juan reminded us why we love boxing.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rene Bonsubre, Jr..
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