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Filipino boxer Donaire stops Montiel to become world champ anew


Nonito Donaire is back as a world champion. The Filipino boxer stopped Mexican foe Fernando Montiel in the second round of their bantamweight title fight on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada. A vicious left counter by Donaire to Montiel's temple sent the Mexican down to the canvas in the latter stage of Round 2, his legs clearly seen to undergo involuntary convulsion, showing the power of the blow. The defending champion struggled to get up, but the Filipino wasted no time in disposing of his rival with a brief flurry that caused the referee to stop the fight with 35 seconds left in the round. The sensational second-round stoppage had Donaire, a former International Boxing Federation flyweight titlist, wresting the World Boxing Council and World Boxing Organization bantamweight belts from Montiel to become world champion anew. Donaire joins eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao, WBO minimumweight champion Donnie Nietes and lady world champ Ana Julaton as current Filipino world titlists. For Donaire, it was the hardest punch he ever threw, resulting in a sensational technical knockout win. “The Darchinyan punch was hard as well, but this was the hardest punch of my career," said Donaire. “I was so surprised he got up – I put everything behind that punch. It was the hardest one I ever threw in my life." “I’ve never felt so much confidence as I did tonight," he added. Donaire barged his way to the world boxing scene after a sensational fifth-round technical knockout win over Vic Darchinyan and wrested the IBF and IBO world flyweight titles in 2007. Donaire’s rock-solid left hook that floored Montiel and had him barely getting up to his feet to beat the count was devastating indeed. The Mexican was taken to University Medical Center for precautionary measures. Earlier, Mike Jones kept his ring record unblemished with a unanimous decision victory over Jesus Soto Karass in a rematch of their controversial fight last November. Filipino welterweight prospect Mark Melligen also won convincingly over Gabriel Martinez, while Mickey Bey and Jose Hernandez fought to a majority draw. - KY, Rey Joble, GMA News

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