Donaire's Montiel KO voted year's best

MANILA, Philippines - It came more than 10 months ago, and yet it never left the minds of most fight fans that voted for Nonito Donaire’s second-round knockout of Fernando Montiel as Knockout of the Year.

And 78.1 percent of the RingTV.com voters couldn’t go wrong in choosing Donaire’s act, a crunching left hook that sent the previously undefeated Montiel flat on his back, as the best stoppage for 2011.

Donaire, who also shocked the world with a sensational knockout win over Vic Darchinyan in 2007, won the WBC and WBO bantamweight titles with the victory over Montiel.

The knockout sent the crowd at Mandalay Bay up on their feet, and referee Russel Mora almost stepping on the fallen Montiel as he moved toward the Filipino “Flash.”

Montiel, who’s never been down before, managed to beat the count, and the referee could have done better calling for an immediate halt of the fight.

Mora signaled the fight to resume, and Donaire charged on Montiel, landing a couple more shots to the head. Only then did the referee step in to signal the end of the fight.

It was a knockout that was talked about way after the bout, and gave Donaire the recognition he deserves.

Donaire defended the titles against Omar Narvaez last October in New York. But the bout turned out to be a sleeper as Narvaez spent more time running than throwing punches.

Donaire has decided to move up to the super-bantamweight class, and in February he makes his debut at 122lb against Wilfredo Vasquez Jr. in San Antonio.

Donaire said he will press the action.

“I want to look spectacular. I know that I can beat a lot of guys with my movement. I want to look spectacular. That’s good for boxing. That’s good for my personal gain as a person,” he told RingTV.com.

“I want to show improvement every time that I go into the ring. I want to look great, I want to look awesome, I want to look fast, and I want to look fantastic. I want to see how I can do against the bigger guys.”