DONAIRE WINS IN CLASSIC TKO
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 03 Dec 2007
IBF/IBO flyweight champion Nonito ?The Filipino Flash? proved he is the real deal not a one punch wonder with a classic performance in scoring an eighth round TKO over a game and tough Luis Maldonado at the Foxwoods Resort and Casino in Connecticut, yesterday.
The 25 year old Filipino who trained in the famed ALA Gym in Cebu and got the best sparring available clearly benefited from that stint as he dominated the Mexican who had been stopped only once in his career by former champion Vic Darchinyan who in turn lost his title in a stunning fifth round TKO at the hands of Donaire last July 7. Donaire improved to19-1 with 12 knockouts while Maldonado dropped to 37-2-1 with 28 knockouts.
Donaire bloodied Maldonado in the early rounds and opened up a cut above the right eye as he completely controlled the action with cracking combinations that turned Maldonado?s face into a bloody mess. Maldanado landed a solid right hook in the fourth round that woke up the champion but the Filipino came back and nailed him with a left hook that staggered the challenger.
TV commentators of Showtime led by respected analyst Al Berstein said Donaire got a little cute and inexplicably switched to a southpaw stance which hurt his cause.
Donaire?s father and trainer Nonito was calm and collected in his son?s corner and the champion quickly regained the initiative as he went after Maldonado cracking him with vicious combinations and waiting for an opening to unload his devastating left hook.
Cheered on by a group of Filipinos including his girlfriend, Donaire brushed aside the occasional left hands of Maldonado that found their mark and hurt the Mexican with a hard right to the body late in round five that sent Maldonado backing off.
Every time Donaire followed his father?s instructions and switched to the body he appeared to hurt Maldonado . Late in round six he pinned the challenger against the ropes and picked him off with clean shots including a fancy left-right combination as he let his hands go. Donaire nailed Maldonado with a big right on the nose that staggered the Mexican who fought back like a wounded tiger in an exciting round.
Donaire caught Maldonado with double left hooks prompting Bernstein to describe him as ?a very skilled, well-polished fighter? as he continued to give the challenger a boxing clinic. In the dying seconds of round seven Donaire caught Maldonado with a stinging right uppercut that froze the challenger in his tracks and then clubbed him to the canvas with a vicious left hook as the Mexican staggered backwards only to be saved by the bell.
His cornermen asked Maldonado at the end of the round ?do you want to go out there? and although he didn?t answer he gallantly went out for the eighth. The ringside physician checked out Maldonado and let the fight continue. Donaire decided to go after the challenger and end his misery by catching him with a barrage of punches but the referee didn?t intervene. After backing off for a few seconds ?The Filipino Flash? returned to the fray and threw a flurry of unanswered punches that forced referee Charlie Dwyer to call a halt.
At the end which came at 1:16 seconds of the round Donaire was way ahead on the scorecards of all three judges as well as a panel of boxing writers at special ringside and TV commentator Bernstein. Clark Samartino and George Smith had Donaire ahead 70-62 and Don Trella 69-63 which was the same as the unofficial scorecard of Berstein.
Donaire who hurt his left hand in the second round didn?t seem bothered by the pain saying ?its okay. I?ve had the problem before. Every fighter has it.? Donaire said ?I respect him a lot. He is a good fighter. He was tough. He has a lot of courage and gave me a helluva fight.? Donaire said he felt validated by his win but claimed he ?didn?t feel a hundred percent? apparently having problems with the movement of his legs.
Donaire repeated his desire to unify the flyweight division which ?is something I want to do before everybody else does (among Filipinos).? Donaire, regarded as one of the nicest young men thanked the ALA Gym and his Filipino countrymen for their support saying ?I love you guys.?
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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