Donaire vs. Montiel: 10 Things We Learned From the Fight

Saturday night a new star was born around 8:00pm pacific time when he KTFO the very dangerous knock out artist bantamweight champion Fernando Montiel at 2:25 of the 2nd round.

That newborn star's name is none other than Nonito Donaire, who is now the WBC/WBO bantamweight champion of the world.

For those of us in attendance at the Mandalay Bay, we were fully satisfied in terms of excitement and action. When so many bash on our sport by saying it's dead because its boring or there are no new stars who are keeping it alive and exciting, I hope they had their eyes open Saturday night.

The following are 10 things we learned from the Fernando Montiel vs Nonito Donaire fight from those of us who were in attendance at the Mandalay Bay:

No. 10

Mark Melligen was on a do or die mission as word came out that his future with Top Rank was depending on his performance that night against Gabriel Martinez on the under card. The Filipino fighter known as "Mighty" was mighty enough to pull a dominating unanimous decision over Martinez, often exciting the crowd with his flurries and attacks. Was his performance mighty enough to solidify his future with Top Rank promotions? Well I say yes, but I don't work for Godfather Bob.

No. 9

Andre Ward, the S.O.G., who also hails from the Bay area just like Nonito, told me he grew up with the Donaire brothers and said that as a kid, Nonito's older brother Glenn used to bang him up in sparring.

S.O.G. is a rather religious, conservative, clean man. You don't really see that too much when you get to "SIN CITY."  He's a real down to earth champion as most Bay Area champions are.

No. 8

The notorious Victor Conte is actually a really sweet guy. He's very nice and likable.

I was hanging out with him and his wife and some other more elderly men who were part of his entourage after the fight, and they all were much more energetic than the rest of us younger media people. I wish I could be that young at heart when I get to their age.

No. 7

Newly crowned Alexander "the Choke Artist" conqueror WBC/WBO 140 champ Tim Bradley told me the Amir Khan fight is set for July in Las Vegas. This is the best news that we can hear if it is indeed true. There are always the variables of promoters and Khan's results with his fight against McCloskey.

No. 6

When a stadium full of Donaire fans chant: "Nonito! Nonito! Nonito!" it can easily be drowned out by even more fans in the stadium chanting: "Me-Hi-Co."

That is of course until their man gets caught by the biggest/fastest/most powerful counter left hook we have seen in a while, then the chants become screams, and all hell breaks loose.

The journalist right next to me literally grabbed me and started jumping up and down in hysteria. It was very awkward because he didn't even know my name. 

I also was told by other more veteran journalists that they never cheer at any fight they cover out of respect for objectivity and professionalism, but as soon as that knock out landed, they were all at their feet screaming. 

Two Caucasian journalists said to each other, "the two best pound for pound fighters in the world right now are Filipino.....shoot we wish we were Filipino."

Does race matter? Not to me, if you are a hot chick, you are a hot chick, but that story falls under the "Whatever Happens In Vegas Stays In Vegas" file. WINK

No. 5

Prior to the much anticipated Montiel/Donaire fight, Montiel disrespected legends Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard by saying he can do their signature showboating moves better than they could.

I thought this was rather disrespectful, but then again, when Montiel got knocked down on his back and did the Ali shuffle instantly as he hit the canvas, I have to say that is something Ali never did.

No. 4

Say what you will about Montiel, but the guy has mad heart because he got up from the most vicious knock down we have seen since Williams/Martinez II. Shoot, I personally commend him for that heart/courage that he showed. I barely got up out of bed to go to work on Monday.

No. 3

The official attendance at the Montiel/Donaire fight was 4,805.

This is great considering all of the circumstances of this fight, including it happening during a long holiday weekend, the All Star game going on in Los Angeles and the main event not being a super mega fight outside of the hardcore boxing fans.

This number is even better than last years fight of the year with Amir Khan vs Marcos Maidana.

No. 2

When you have the special honor to talk to the fighter right before the fight and he tells you over the phone, "hey I'm going for the early KO and so is my opponent", then you should listen to him.

I listened to Nonito's advice when he told me it's going to be an early round knock out in our interview: Nonito Donaire: 95 Percent Right Now, But Inside the Ring I will be 120 Percent.  Was Nonito indeed 120 percent in the ring that night? No, I'd say more like 220 percent. 

No. 1

The most important thing for us fight fans is to be satisfied. When our favorite fighters tell us they will do something, we expect them to do it, that's why we are fans.

Back in November Nonito told me he will fight Montiel in February and he did. He also told me he will go for the early knock out and he did. He told me he will take risks and make it exciting and fun for everyone and he did.

He goes by the name of Flash and that's what he is: fast as hell and those deadly counter punches come at you in a flash. He actually lives up to his name when so many other fighters do not.

For most of his career he's trained so hard and fought so brilliantly, yet outside of the real hardcore true fans, his fame never really took off. It's not his fault at all. You can blame his promoters, his manager or the shady politics of the sport, but at the end of the day, he did what he had to do to shake up the world.

He did not have to knock Montiel out that fast like that, as he could have easily outboxed him to a comfortable decision like so many other fighters do.  But it all doesn't matter anymore, because once a star is born, he is always a star.

The name is Nonito "Filipino Flash" Donaire, band-wagoners all aboard!

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