Montiel, Donaire battle for supremacy

By Dan Rafael
ESPN.com

LAS VEGAS -- The fight poster that adorns the light boxes throughout Mandalay Bay advertises the much-anticipated showdown between unified bantamweight titleholder Fernando Montiel and top-10 pound-for-pound fighter Nonito Donaire. Near the top, above their photos and under the words "World Championship," the poster reads, in big, bold letters: "Mexico vs. The Philippines."

Besides crowning the top bantamweight in the world, the fight at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on Saturday night (HBO, 9:45 ET/PT) is all about nationalistic pride in the latest installment of a growing rivalry between the boxing-mad countries.

"This fight between Nonito Donaire and Fernando Montiel -- everybody who follows boxing knows it will be a great fight, but the interesting thing for me about this fight [is] the countries where these fighters come from, the Philippines and Mexico," Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said. "There is almost frenzy about this fight. I was informed that in the Philippines there are two one-hour [television] specials promoting the fight, and they are expecting a huge audience on Sunday morning, which is their time equivalent of when the fight will be aired.

"In Mexico, there is tremendous anticipation and great media coverage. It is my hope that the enthusiasm that is coming from the Philippines and Mexico permeates in the United States, that people that follow boxing and casual sports fans watch this fight on HBO because it truly will be a great fight for the sport of boxing."

In the co-feature, Philadelphia welterweight Mike Jones (23-0, 18 KOs) meets Mexico's Jesus Soto-Karass (24-5-3, 16 KOs) in a rematch of Jones' majority decision win on Nov. 13 on the pay-per-view undercard of the Manny Pacquiao-Antonio Margarito fight at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

One of boxing's greatest rivalries has been Mexico-Puerto Rico, which has produced numerous classics in recent decades. But the Mexico-Philippines rivalry is newer. It has its roots in pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao's rise to the top of the sport over the past several years.

Although there have been recent title matches between Filipinos and Mexicans -- the Philippines' Gerry Penalosa against Jhonny Gonzalez and Daniel Ponce De Leon, for example -- it has been Pacquiao who has rolled over one Mexican after another, leading many to dub him "The Mexecutioner."

Just look at the list of Mexicans and Mexican-Americans whom Pacquiao has beaten, mostly in utterly dominant fashion: Antonio Margarito, Oscar De La Hoya, David Diaz, Marco Antonio Barrera (twice), Jorge Solis, Oscar Larios and Hector Velazquez. And Pacquiao is also 1-0-1 against Juan Manuel Marquez and 2-1 against Erik Morales.

Montiel is well-aware of Pacquiao's dominant record against his countrymen and is looking for a little get-back, even if it comes against a friend. Montiel and Donaire, who used to train together, are buddies outside the ring.

"Definitely, with Pacquiao fighting so many Mexicans, he created this rivalry," Montiel said through translator Ricardo Jimenez of Top Rank following Thursday's final news conference. "I look forward to fighting a good Filipino fighter. I want to get even for all the ones Pacquiao has beaten. So I want to get in there and get some wins for us."

Donaire, of course, hopes to continue the dominance of Pacquiao, his boxing idol.

"[The rivalry is] good news for boxing," Donaire said. "Me and Montiel are good friends, but in that ring we are proud of who we are, me being a Filipino and Montiel being a Mexican. We are proud of who we are. The rivalry is healthy for boxing. It's good for boxing. The Mexican fighters are our biggest rival."

Said Montiel: "I know the rivalry is getting better as [the Filipino] fighters are getting better. There is a little extra motivation there. I think both countries, the Philippines and Mexico, want to see their guys win. They are both behind their fighters, and a victory for either side would be important."

If Pacquiao is the No. 1 Filipino fighter -- and there is no doubt about that -- then Donaire (25-1, 17 KOs), who moved to the San Francisco Bay area when he was 10, is clearly No. 2.

"The face of boxing today is Manny Pacquiao and he comes for the Philippines, but right behind him in the Philippines is a man who comes from the same city as Pacquiao, General Santos, and is becoming more and more endeared to the Philippine fans," Arum said of Donaire.

Montiel (43-2-2, 33 KOs), one of five Mexican fighters to win world titles in three weight divisions, is Mexico's No. 2 active fighter behind lightweight champion Marquez.

Montiel would like to become the first Mexican to win a title in a fourth weight class. With a win against Donaire, he will consider looking to the junior featherweight division for the opportunity.

Montiel, 31, unified bantamweight belts last April when he went to Japan and, as the underdog, rallied for a fourth-round knockout of well-respected longtime titleholder Hozumi Hasegawa, who has since moved up in weight and claimed a featherweight belt.

But Donaire, 28, is another formidable opponent. The former flyweight titleholder lost his second pro fight in 2001 and hasn't lost since as he worked his way up the pound-for-pound list with several impressive victories, such as his flyweight title-winning knockout of Vic Darchinyan in 2007 and his fourth-round destruction of former bantamweight titlist Wladimir Sidorenko in December.

"He did impress me," Montiel said of Donaire's domination of Sidorenko. "He looked really great against Sidorenko, but I'm not Sidorenko. Sidorenko just stood there in front of him, and I think you have to take that into consideration too. I am not going to be standing in front of him. I'm going to be moving around and I'll be doing my job too. I think our styles match real well and it's going to be a good fight.

"He is obviously a fighter that has a lot of speed. He moves around the ring and is an intelligent fighter. The question to me is what is going to happen when he fights a guy that is just as intelligent, just as strong and just as good as he is? That is the question -- when he fights someone that is equal to him. I think it's the first time he will find a fighter that is just as good as he is."

While Montiel aspires to make Mexican boxing history by eventually winning a belt in a fourth weight class, Donaire aspires to the accomplishments of Pacquiao, who has won titles in a record eight weight classes.

Donaire won his first title at flyweight, the same division as Pacquiao.

"He is definitely an inspiration in my career -- an inspiration in boxing and how I want to be," Donaire said of Pacquiao. "I am inspired to see no impossibility. To get to 130 pounds or even more. To keep going. That's what he wants me to do, keep moving my feet to see how far I can go."

If Donaire wins, he said he also will probably move up in weight to try to get the most out of his ability and to continue his attempt at following in Pacquiao's footsteps.

He said he loves when he is mentioned along with Pacquiao.

"I embrace it. Manny Pacquiao is one of the greatest in the history of boxing," Donaire said. "What he has accomplished is incredible and beyond a lot of people. For me to even be compared to him or be [ranked] behind him, that's a great thing. That's an achievement.

"I'm going to try my best to win as many titles as I can. Manny keeps me hungry, he keeps me going, and it keeps me motivated to keep fighting and seek the best out there and be the best."

And Donaire sure wouldn't mind if he fulfilled those goals against Mexican fighters.

Collision Course: Montiel versus Donaire

By Joseph Herron: Fighters and fight fans alike have always been a rare breed. As every second of every round ticks away, we love to see the drama of a great scrap unfold. We live to see our favorite fighters leave everything in the ring for our entertainment. If you ask any prizefighter why they have chosen this profession over everything else they could have done in life, more often than not, they will tell you, “I don’t know, boxing kind of chose me…I didn’t choose boxing…I really can’t explain it.” I guess you could say that it was simply “meant to be.” On Saturday night, February 19th, boxing fans will be treated to a fight that was simply “meant to be”.

At the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada, Fernando Montiel will defend his WBO and WBC Bantamweight titles against the dangerously slick, Nonito Donaire. These two former Flyweight Champions, and current top ten P4P fighters, will collide to determine who the better man is at 118 lbs. Strangely enough, this fight will not decide complete supremacy in the Bantamweight division, despite the caliber of both fighters. The “Filipino Flash” admittedly hasn’t done enough at Bantamweight to merit legitimate superiority at 118 lbs, so the winner of this bout will more than likely have to eventually face the victor of the Mares/Agbeko match-up later this year. Most boxing scribes view this to be a mere technicality.

Fernando Montiel and Nonito Donaire are two elite level prizefighters who are considered to be two of the best in the business, and for our enjoyment will “face off” this Saturday night. What makes this fight so intriguing? Both fight media and boxing fans around the world have been focusing on this potential match-up for years and have considered this P4P fight to be a true barber shop discussion dream match-up. Why?

Both fighters have displayed the kind of dominant performances we, as fight fans, expect from our champions, and both men have refused to walk away from the best opposition available. The boxing world knew that these two pugilists would eventually face one another...their character told us that this fight was inevitably going to happen.

“El Cochulito” hasn’t lost a fight since his split decision loss to former Bantamweight Champion, Jhonny Gonzalez, in 2006. He has not only defeated his most recent opposition, Montiel has knocked out 7 out of his last 9 opponents. At 118 lbs, this is no small feat and is definitely worth mass recognition.

The “Filipino Flash” hasn’t been defeated since 2001, when he suffered his only loss, via unanimous decision, to Rosendo Sanchez. Since defeating Vic Darchinyan by improbable and devastating knock-out in 2007, Donaire has looked, not only dominant, but unbeatable at Flyweight and Super Flyweight. In fact, during a recent fight with Mexican fighter, Hernan “Tyson” Marquez, Nonito fought the first 5 rounds of that bout in a southpaw stance to simply make the style match-up “a little more challenging”.

I guess you could make the assessment that both fighters are at the “top of their game”, and a loss for either fighter seems impossible. These two factors are why this fight is so intriguing.

This is exactly what the sport of boxing needs: two pound for pound, elite level fighters deciding to fight each other without regard to the possibility of loss. Make no mistake…one fighter will not only lose, but will more than likely get knocked out. This doesn’t seem to bother either man.

Both Donaire and Montiel realize that a potential loss does not necessarily equate to financial and professional disaster. It could actually lead to even more clout and critical demand within the sport of boxing. Boxing media and fight fans agree that a fighter who has the courage and willingness to fight the best fighters available, win or lose, should be rewarded with bigger paydays and more eventful fights. The entire sport of boxing always benefits from the unselfish and risk-taking pugilists…always.

The adverse is also true: The entire sport of boxing always suffers when the conscientious and the uneventful pugilists refuse to fight the best fighters available…always.

So on February 19th, reward the network, the promoters, and the fighters for simply making this fight happen, not only by tuning in, but by informing and encouraging others to watch this “must see” event on HBO.

Fernando Montiel and Nonito Donaire are two fighters who truly deserve this kind of attention.


O T H E R H A P P E N I N G S

Most boxing fans who bought the Pac/Margo PPV were treated to an unexpected war of attrition on the undercard between Jesus Soto Karass and Mike Jones. This Saturday, the hard headed Mexican fighter gets a chance to rectify a majority decision loss, which most felt he won, when he rematches the “fortunate to be undefeated” American prospect, Mike Jones. I think Jones learned, during their first bout, that Jesus cannot be bombed out in round number one. I don’t think M.J. is foolish enough to try again. I think Jones will elect to fight a more tactical fight and should win an easy majority decision this Saturday night. Then again, maybe he is foolish enough to try it again…more reason to tune in to HBO this Saturday!!

Tonight on “the best show on TV”, Friday Night Fights, undefeated Welterweight Shawn Porter faces Anges Adjaho on ESPN’s very first FNF 3D broadcast. If you’re fortunate enough to have the goggles, the TV, the cable box, and ESPN 3D, the telecast should be a real treat. I would really appreciate it if someone, who is fortunate enough to see this, would shoot me an email to let me know whether or not it is a worthy investment. Thanks, in advance!!

In other action, Felix Sturm will be facing American middleweight prospect Ronald Hearns this Saturday in Stuttgart, Germany. Ronald, who has 26 wins and only 1 loss, attempts to become the new WBA Middleweight Champion. Hearns comes into the bout, on average, as a 3:1 underdog, but he does possess knockout power and has 20 KOs under his belt. If “The Chosen One” does find a way to pull off the upset in Germany, it will more than likely have to come by way of knockout. Good luck, brother…you’ll need it in Deutschland!!

By the way, as a follow up of my previous article on ESB, David Rodriguez hammered Matt Hicks in two rounds to earn his 32nd win by way of knockout, improving his record to 34-0. I will keep an eye on “El Nino’s” career and keep you guys posted. Hopefully he can put some quality fighters on his resume this year. He has been brutally attacked by skeptics in the boxing media and deserves more of a fair shake than he has received. Good luck, Dave!!

Donaire: I'll knock Montiel out in 6 rounds

MANILA, Philippines – Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire said he will use his height, speed and power to beat Mexican champion Fernando Montiel on Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

Donaire even said that there is a possibility that the fight won't last 6 rounds.

“Siguro, early rounds masasabi ko. Siguro before 6 [rounds, I can knock him out],” he told ABS-CBN correspondent Dyan Castillejo.

Donaire also assured his fans not to worry about the sacrifices he has to go through in making the 118-pound limit.

He said the weight loss does not weaken him as his food intake and exercise are all calculated up to the official weigh-in on Friday (Saturday in Manila).

Last bantamweight fight
Montiel, on the other hand, said that the Donaire fight will be his last in bantamweight fight, which is why he is aiming for a big win before climbing another weight class.

The Mexican said he will first defend his World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight crowns against Donaire before entering the super bantamweight division.

The 5’4” Montiel said he is unfazed despite Donaire’s height. The Filipino Flash enjoys a 3-inch height advantage over the Mexican.
Montiel said he throws the heavier punches and has no problems facing taller fighters.

“I’m sure I can knock him out before 10 rounds,” said the Mexican.

Analysts choose

Boxing analysts have mixed forecasts about the fight.

Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin Iole think the Filipino Flash has the tools to beat the Mexican.

“Obviously, Donaire is a little bit faster and I think he's a little bit more accurate puncher,” said Iole.

Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Review, however, sees otherwise.
"I see that Montiel's experience in his weight class maybe enough to get him over the hump,” said Carp.

Oddsmakers also favor the Filipino Flash to win the fight.

A $250 bet on Donaire will yield $100 while it only takes a $100 bet for Montiel to get $210. -- With a report from Dyan Castillejo, ABS-CBN News

Catch Ang Pagtutuos: Nonito Donaire vs. Fernando Montiel on Feb. 20, Sunday at 10:15 a.m. on ABS-CBN Channel 2 (replay at 11:30 p.m.) and 9 p.m. on Studio 23.

source: abs-cbnNEWS.com