Nonito Donaire
New York, NY– In a highly anticipated encounter between two extremely talented top ranked bantamweight (118 lbs) pugs, WBC and WBO champion Fernando “Cochulito” Montiel (44-2-2, 34 KOs) engages in combat against former fly and super fkyweufhtweight belt holder Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire (25-1, 17 KOs) in a proposed 12 round showdown of throwdown at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, NV, Saturday at 9:45 PM ET on HBO.
QUITE A FISTIC STORM FOR US ALL
Albeit not a household name; Fernando Montiel has campaigned unbeaten over five years against stiff opposition in a talent deep division. Boasting 9 knockouts in his 12 affairs, Fernando has truly merited the status of being labeled as a unified champion. Now in his seemingly most difficult assignment to date, Montiel will look to call upon his feverishly furious tempo of artistic violence to overcome his vastly skilled nemesis.
A FLASH OF BRILLANCE
Bursting on the scene with a sensational one punch knockout win over then undefeated Vic Darchinyin (W KO 5), Nonito Donaire’s slaying of the “Raging Bull” propelled his status as challenger to champion overnight. Conventional wisdom led one to believe that a win of such magnitude would have opened the doors to more marquee fights and lucrative pay days, however that wasn’t the case. In a victory that was supposed to elevate him into the upper stratosphere of the sport, Nonito was instead fighting against mostly over matched fighters on small time independent PPV cards. However, by knocking out 8 of his last 10, as witnessed when he smashed the nose of Volodymyr Sydorenko (W KO 4), Donaire possesses a “TV friendly style” and packs one hell of a punch.
UNDERCARD HAS A GOOD ONE ON TAP
In a rematch of a closely fought entertaining encounter, up and coming welterweight (147) Mike Jones (23-0, 18 KOs) takes on battle tested seasoned veteran Jesus Soto Karass (24-5-3, 16 KOs) over 12 rounds or less.
ESPN STARTS OFF THE WEEKEND
Each installment of the popular series “Friday Night Fights” presents news, analysis of upcoming bouts, interviews, celebrity guests offering insight into the world of boxing, and competitive scraps. This week, exciting undefeated power puncher Fernando Guerrero (20-0, 16 KOs) squares off against rugged scrapper Derrick Findley (17-4, 11 KOs) in a scheduled 10 round middleweight (160) contest at the Wicomico Civic Center in Salisbury, Maryland, Friday at 9 PM ET on ESPN2.
John Signorella