Donaire shows the importance of a good boxing mind
By Rene Bonsubre, Jr.
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 11 Jul 2010
WBA interim superflyweight titlist Nonito Donaire,Jr. saved an ill-fated Filipino campaign in Puerto Rico when he retained his title with an 8th round TKO win over Hernan ?Tyson? Marquez of Mexico.
The Filipino Flash started the fight as a southpaw and worked behind a rapier right jab. In the second and third rounds he rocked Marquez? head back with his left uppercut. Donaire?s height and reach advantage was simply too much for the Mexican to overcome.
He could have finished this fight earlier but Donaire never pressed the issue. He does hold his hands low but he doesn?t pay the price because of his speed and reflexes.
In the 5th round, Donaire shifted to a right handed stance and scored a knockdown with a series of hooks. Marquez finished the round grabbing and hanging on to Donaire for his survival. This was a brutal boxing clinic.
It was target practice for Donaire in the 6th and 7th rounds. A left uppercut in the 8th sent Marquez down again and the referee mercifully ended the carnage.
It looked like a mismatch from the start but Donaire did what he had to do. Except for the moments of showboating he did not take any unnecessary risks. He stuck to his game plan and his killer?s instinct told him when to close the show. Same thing against Manuel Vargas or when he chose to box and win on points against Rafael Concepcion.
Donaire plans to campaign in a heavier division after this fight. He is ranked number 4 in Ring magazine?s pound for pound list despite the fact that he has failed to fight a big name since the fifth round stoppage of the feared Vic Darchinyan.
His frame is big enough for a title drive two to three divisions higher. Fans would be at the losing end if Donaire doesn?t get to fight the likes of Fernando Montiel, Yonnhy Perez or Wilfredo Vasquez, Jr. Someday we might even get to see Donaire in a megafight with Juanma Lopez.
In the main event, Bernabe Concepcion failed in his attempt to dethrone WBO featherweight champ Juan Manuel Lopez and was knocked out in the second round.
Concepcion charged at Lopez after the opening bell. It turned out to be the wrong strategy as Lopez decked him. As the undefeated Puerto Rican went for the kill, Concepcion scored a knockdown courtesy of a left hook which shocked Lopez and the partisan fans.
In the second round, Concepcion continued to be aggressive but Lopez took no chances and landed the harder and more accurate punches. Lopez knocked Concepcion down twice and the referee signalled the end at the 2:37 mark.
Was Concepcion caught up in the moment? Was he trying to duplicate the effort of Rogers Mtagwa?
It was very enjoyable though while it lasted. Concepcion can always claim he knocked Lopez down near the end of the round. Who knows what would have happened if the bell didn?t sound?but luck very rarely trumps greatness.
Lopez could very well be on his way to achieving the same level of superstardom reached by his countryman Felix Trinidad. He does need more name opponents and a fight against Rafael Marquez and Yuriorkis Gamboa are both mouth-watering.
Eden Sonsona appeared to be leading after the first seven rounds against Puerto Rican Jonathan Oquendo. The Gensan southpaw landed the cleaner and harder blows and Oquendo had a hematoma under his right eye. Sonsona may have been tiring, but a lead was still a lead.
In the 8th round, Sonsona scored a knockdown which the referee ruled a slip. Then Oquendo landed a series of low blows that slowed down and hurt Sonsona. The referee finally deducted a point from Oquendo but he managed to knock down a fading Sonsona at the end of the eighth round.
In the 9th round, a picture perfect right straight sent Sonsona down and the referee counted him out at the 1:05 mark.
Once again, it is easier to do a retrospective evaluation. But taking a longer time to rest after the low blows would have been the smarter thing to do. Sonsona was entitled to it. A few more minutes of rest could have salvaged this fight in his favour.
Eden suffered the same fate as his cousin Marvin Sonsona, who also lost in Puerto Rico when he was knocked out in the fourth round by Wifredo Vasquez,Jr. in a WBO superbantamweight title bout last February.
Going back to Donaire, the guy is skilled, articulate and has also made forays into show business. He is obviously the frontrunner in taking over Manny Pacquiao as the flagship of Philippine boxing. We will have to wait and see if he can muster the same rabid following.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rene Bonsubre, Jr..
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