PSN Palaro

Donaire umiskor ng split decision win

February 6, 2012 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines - Hinayaan ni Nonito ‘The Filipino Flash’ Donaire, Jr. na ang kanyang mga kamao ang magsalita sa ibabaw ng boxing ring.

Bagamat nasaktan ang kanyang kaliwang kamay, nagawa pa rin ni Donaire na talunin si Wilfredo Vazquez, Jr. via split decision upang angkinin ang bakanteng World Boxing Organization (WBO) super bantamweight crown kahapon sa Alamodome sa San Antonio, Texas.

Nagkampeon na si Donaire sa flyweight divison ng International Boxing Federation (IBF) at International Boxing Organization (IBO) at sa World Boxing Council (WBC) at World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight class.

Kinontrol ng 29-anyos na si Donaire ang laban mula sa opening bell hanggang sa makorner niya ang 27-anyos na si Vazquez sa third round.

“Vazquez was tougher than I expected,” ani Donaire. “I couldn’t find my rhythm, and I hurt my hand somewhere between the second and fourth rounds. I could only move it a little bit.”

Mula sa isang left uppercut at hard left, napabagsak ni Donaire si Vazquez sa ninth round.

Ayon sa tubong Talibon, Bohol, hindi na niya naituloy ang pagrapido kay Vazquez, dating may hawak ng WBO super bantamweight belt.

“When I knocked him down in the ninth round, that was the end of the hand,” ani Donaire. “I was in agony.”

Nakahugot si Donaire ng 117-110 points mula kina judges Levi Martinez at Don Trella, habang nagbigay si Ruben Garcia ng 115-112 para kay Vazquez, ang anak ni dating three-division titlist Wilfredo Vazquez Sr.

“He’s real quick,” ani Vazquez kay Donaire. “He caught me with some good punches. He surprised me by hitting me when I was off balance. I thought I did pretty well. I was patient, but he is a great fighter.”

Itinaas ni Donaire ang kanyang win-loss-draw ring record sa 28-1-0 kasama ang 18 KOs, samantalang may 21-2-1 (18 KOs) card ngayon si Vazquez, naagaw ang dating suot na WBO super bantamweight title matapos ang isang 12th-round TKO loss kay Mexican Jorge Arce noong Mayo 7, 2011.

Ito ang unang pagkakataon na lumaban si Donaire sa super bantamweight division.

At tila komportable na siya na manatili sa naturang 122-pound limit.

“I’m definitely staying at 122 for awhile,” ani Donaire. “There are things (trainer) Robert (Garcia) asked me to do that I couldn’t do so well, so we will go back to the drawing board.”