No sweat: Donaire stops Vargas in 3

Nonito “The Filipino Flash" Donaire, Jr. easily retained his World Boxing Association interim super flyweight title after stopping Manuel Vargas in only three rounds Saturday at the Las Vegas Hilton (Sunday in Manila). According to FightFan.Com, Donaire blew the smaller Vargas - a last minute substitute in the Pinoy Power/Latin Fury 13 card - away, landing a blistering left uppercut that all but settled the issue at 1:33 of the third. "It was a matter of relaxing and working my game plan," Donaire said. "I went side to side, leading with the jab, then landed that hard uppercut." Donaire hiked his record to 23-1 (15 KOs) and is next eyed for a much-awaited rematch with Vic Darchinyan, whom he knocked out in spectacular fashion back in December 2007. Vargas, who went up three divisions to accept the fight with Donaire on short notice after original opponent Gerson Guerrero failed an eye exam by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, dropped to 26-5 with 11 KOs. It was the 28-year-old Vargas’ second straight loss to a Filipino warrior, having yielded a split decision loss to World Boxing Organization (WBO) minimumweight champion Donnie Nietes in Nayarit, Mexico last year. - GMANews.TV