IT WAS a great day for Philippine boxing as four Cebu-based boxers scored victories and Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire proved he is no flash-in-the-pan.
Rey Bautista showed a new self in his comeback win over Antonio Meza, AJ Banal scored yet another TKO over Jovanny Soto, Milan Milendo, Michael Domingo and Joseph Omanz also scored wins and Donaire hacked out a masterful eight-round TKO of Luis Maldonado to keep his International Boxing Federation title.
“Four things we learned today: one, (Nonito) Donaire is for real because some thought that his victory over (Vic) Darchinyan was just (because of) a lucky punch. Two, Boom-Boom has changed for the better and has definitely become a more cautious and mature fighter. Three, AJ Banal is a Bazooka full of power. And four, fighters who train in Cebu are the best,” Cebu City Councilor Sylvan “Jack” Jakosalem told Sun.Star Cebu after the fight.
Donaire, who also owns the International Boxing Organization belt that was not at stake during the fight, proved his critics wrong as he dominated the challenger for most of the fight.
Donaire started out strong in the first round and often connected with his left hook—the punch that stopped Darchinyan.
Maldonado, who started with an orthodox stance, came out a lefty in the second but that didn’t make any difference as Donaire went head-hunting, opening cuts in both eyes.
Donaire kept on connecting to Maldonado’s head in the third and both sides of Maldonado’s face were swollen red.
Confidence
However, the Filipino, who also trained at the ALA gym for the fight, turned southpaw in the fourth and the Mexican warrior managed to connect his punches, gaining some confidence.
“He was kind of awkward. I’m used to fighting lefty. It was weird to see him fight like that. Everytime, I countered with my right, he countered it,” Donaire said in the post-fight interview.
After that nearly disastrous fifth round, Donaire hit Maldonado with some solid jabs and body shots in the two rounds before a solid left to the head staggered Maldonado, who also lost to Darchinyan, at the end of the seventh.
Going to the eighth round, Maldonado’s corner was heard asking the fighter if he wants to continue.
Sensing the victory, Donaire opened with a barrage of punches and downed the Mexican with another left hook, set up by an uppercut.
Maldonado survived the count but the referee called off the fight in the 1:16 minute mark as Maldonado was unable to defend himself.
Curiously, despite showing his quickness and power during the fight, Donaire said in the post-match interview that he didn’t feel his legs and that he hurt his hand in the second round.
Problem
“I’ve always had that problem (with the hand) The thing that bothered me the most was my legs...I couldn’t move,” he said.
After his win, Donaire is now setting up bigger goals.
“I want to unify the belts in the flyweight division. No Filipino has ever done this before. I want to be the first one to do this,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Sultan Kudarat raised Domingo hammered a unanimous decision win over Anthony Mathias of Tanzania after 10 rounds, while the Cagayan de Oro City’s Melindo also pulled a unanimous decision win over Jack Amisa of Indonesia to keep his WBO Asia Pacific minimum weight title.
However, not all Cebuano fighters won their respective fights.
ALA Boy and reigning Philippine flyweight champion Rocky Fuentes lost to Richie Mepranum by split decision after eight rounds of a non-title bout.
Mepranum, who has a longer reach, was timely and accurate from the onset until the final bell and when Fuentes got his momentum from the sixth to the eighth round, it was already too late.
Another youthful Cebuano fighter has also started to etch his name in boxing.
The undefeated, 17-year-old featherweight Joseph Omanz (9-0, 5KOs) of the ALA Gym scored a rousing TKO win over another Cebu-based fighter Albert Cesa (13-7-4) at the 1:33 mark of the second round.
Other winners include Jesson Perater over Marron Sanchez, Bai Elorde scoring over Cris Dollosin and Anton Olarte over Jason Pagara. (RCM, EKA)
