Nonito Donaire's biggest fights

MANILA, Philippines – WBO and IBF super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire returns to the ring this Saturday (Sunday in Manila) to defend his titles against Toshiaki Nishioka of Japan.

With Manny Pacquiao at the twilight of his boxing career, Donaire may well end up carrying the torch for Philippine boxing. Ranked in the top five of most pound-for-pound lists today, the Filipino-American hasn’t lost a fight in more than a decade.

Like Pacquiao, Donaire has been champion in multiple divisions – flyweight, super flyweight, bantamweight and super bantamweight. He possesses the same devastating combination of speed and power like Pacquiao. But it is the science in Donaire’s fighting that distinguishes “The Filipino Flash” from the “Pacman”. His switch-hitting style, accurate blows and effective movement are a bane to his opponents.

But barring any comparison with the greatest Filipino boxer of all time, Donaire is on the cusp of becoming one of the most relevant figures in Philippine boxing history. But how exactly did this General Santos-born, San Leandro, California-based fighter chart his stellar professional career?

Let’s take a look at five fights that stand out in Nonito Donaire’s illustrious boxing resume:

5. Raul Martinez (April 19, 2009, Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City)

Donaire’s bout with the then-undefeated American Raul Martinez is special not only because it reaffirmed Donaire’s heavy hands, but also because it is this writer’s lone live coverage of a Donaire fight.

Then a prospect sporting a 24-0 record, Martinez proved not to be in Donaire’s class after being on the receiving end of a one-sided beating. Donaire decked Martinez twice in the opening round with combinations, knocked him down again in Round 2, toyed with him in the third canto, then finished off the overmatched Martinez with thunderous uppercut in Round 4.

It was a dominant performance by Donaire – who then successfully defended the IBF flyweight title he won from Vic Darchinyan – in front of a highly partisan crowd at the Araneta Coliseum.

AP photo

4. Luis Maldonaldo (December 1, 2007, Foxwoods Resort, Mashantucket, CT)

Donaire is a highly effective switch-hitter, and Luis Maldonado is a firsthand witness to this.

Defending his IBF flyweight crown anew, Donaire rearranged Maldonado’s face with heavy blows while occasionally switching from orthodox to southpaw. By the time referee Charlie Dwyer stopped the carnage after more than a minute in the eighth round, Maldonado’s face was busted with cuts on both eyebrows.

What’s even remarkable was that Donaire admitted to feeling sluggish in the fight, saying he didn’t have the legs to cut off the ring well. That didn’t reflect on Maldonado’s face though.

3. Vladimir Sidorenko (December 4, 2010, Honda Center, Anaheim, CA)

Total annihilation.

Donaire manhandled Vladimir Sidorenko in such a way that you would think the Ukrainian is a no-name journeyman who’s been offered for slaughter. Except that he wasn’t.

Sidorenko was a former WBA bantamweight champion whose only two losses were decision setbacks to Anselmo Moreno. He was a tough, ripped bantamweight who’s never been knocked out in 27 fights.

During their fight that lasted four rounds, Sidorenko went down once each in Rounds 1 and 3 due to devastating blows from Donaire. By the time Sidorenko hit the deck again in the fourth, his face was a big mess, a grotesque crimson mask. This is perhaps the biggest lopsided win of Donaire’s career.

Now, two years since that fateful evening, Sidorenko still hasn’t fought again.

AP photo

2. Vic Darchinyan (July 7, 2007, Harbour Yard Arena, Bridgeport, CT)

Donaire will probably be remembered in the annals of boxing as the one who humbled a terribly brash fighter in then-longtime IBF flyweight Vic Darchinyan. A 7-1 underdog, Donaire shocked the world by disposing off the powerful Darchinyan with a single counter left hook in the fifth round.

Darchinyan, who entered the fight on a 28-fight winning streak – 21 of them by knockout – spent the whole night trying to land that single blow to end the bout. The Australian, however, got tagged by Donaire’s counters each time he tried to connect with a haymaker.

The wild-swinging Darchinyan ultimately paid the price in Round 5 when, as he was loading up on an uppercut, Donaire clipped him with a perfectly timed left hook that sent the outspoken champion down. In a miserable state, Darchinyan tried to get up but stumbled again – a scene reminiscent of Zab Judah’s “Chicken Dance” – resulting in a knockout win and a first ever world title for Donaire.

So devastating was Donaire’s disposal of Darchinyan that it was hailed by Ring Magazine as the 2007 “Knockout of the Year” and “Upset of the Year.” More importantly, the fight kicked off Donaire’s journey to superstardom.

AP photo

1. Fernando Montiel (February 19, 2011, Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas)

“To be an elite fighter, beat an elite fighter.”

This was a quote this writer came across during an international telecast of one of Manny Pacquiao’s fights. And when Nonito Donaire destroyed an elite fighter in Mexico’s Fernando Montiel for the WBC and WBO bantamweight titles, the quote once again ran through my head.

Montiel is currently the biggest name in Donaire’s resume. A legend in the lighter weight classes who’s never been knocked out, Montiel received the worst beating of his life against Donaire – in just two rounds.

Similar to the way he sent Darchinyan to dreamland, Donaire uncorked a counter left hook after Montiel (then 44-4-2, with 35 KOs) threw a right hand with under a minute in the second round. The Filipino’s blow landed flush on Montiel’s temple, sending the Mexican to the canvass and, in a bizarre scene, with his legs twitching.

Montiel would beat the count out of sheer heart, only to be stopped shortly as Donaire threw a couple more punches.

It was Donaire’s coming-out party, similar to Pacquiao’s thrashing of Marco Antonio Barrera in 2003, which ushered in a new era in boxing. The victory also netted Donaire his third world title in as many weight classes, something that placed him alongside Pacquiao, Luisito Espinosa and Gerry Penalosa in the list of Filipino boxers who have won titles in multiple divisions.

It announced the entry of Donaire as a legitimate superstar.

Author's note: Nonito Donaire has never been knocked down in his 11-year professional boxing career.