Donaire to fight Montiel in Manila

CEBU - IBF flyweight champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire, Jr. will fight next WBO super flyweight title-holder Fernando “Cochulito” Montiel in March next year at the Araneta Coliseum. The card will be promoted by Top Rank of Bob Arum in association with MP Promotions of ring superstar Manny Pacquiao.

“As far as I know, it’s already a done deal. Donaire will fight Montiel in Manila in March but there is no definite date yet. It will be co-promoted by Top Rank and MP Promotions,” said Cebuano topnotch promoter and Pacquiao’s confidant Rex “Wakee” Salud.

Donaire and his wife Rachel arrived in the country yesterday to spend the holidays and begin his training for Montiel.

Donaire has earlier said that Montiel is a great champion who throws good body shots, but he believes that the better oppositon the better he fights.

In an interview with Quinito Henson of The Philippine Star, sister company of The Freeman, Donaire said Montiel will be the toughest fight of his career. “Montiel is a tactician. I’ll fight him anyway he wants – up close or from a distance. I’ll use body shots to slow him down. I’ll do what it takes to win. What’s important is a belt will be at stake and I’m out to take it away from him.”

Barring any hitches, the fight will be Donaire’s first on the Philippine soil. Montiel, for his part, has already fought in the country, eking out a highly questionable split decision victory over Cebuano Z “The Dream” Gorres to retain his WBO belt on February 24 at the Cebu City Sports Center.

Donaire holds a 20-1 win-loss card spiked with 13KOs, while Montiel sports a 38-2-1 record packed with 28KOs.

The 26-year-old Donaire rose to prominence when he dethroned the previously unbeaten Australian knockout artist Vic “The Raging Bull” Darchinyan via fifth round stoppage to snatch the twin IBF and IBO flyweight titles in July last year.

Since then, Donaire has defended his throne twice starting off with a spectacular eight round TKO of Mexico’s Luis Maldonado on December 2, 2007 in Connecticut. He previously kept his belt with a six-round stoppage of South African Moruti Mthalane last November 1 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Noted sports patron Jonathan “Atan” L. Guardo, one of Donaire’s benefactors, said Montiel is a dangerous opponent, but is highly confident that Donaire, given the right training and preparation, will overcome the odds.

“Montiel is a dangerous fighter. But if Nonito is in tip-top shape, he will be favored to win,” said Guardo, president of Uniherb Philippines which has a six-fight contract with Donaire as celebrity endorser of Arthro Kontra Arthritis.

The winner of the Donaire-Montiel rumble is likely to challenge the winner of the Vic Darchinyan-Jorge Arce bout on February 7 in a surefire megabuck showdown. – EBV (THE FREEMAN)