The native of Taliban, Bohol though, said he's always been comfortable fighting at 122-lbs., a division he has dominated early on until running smack into the unbeaten but boring Rigondeaux to yield his title belts. The 12-round fight between the Filipino and Cesar Juarez of Mexico will now be for the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) super-bantamweight title belt that was stripped from former champion Guillermo Rigondeaux of Cuba. "The Filipino Flash" (35-3, with 23 wins by knockout) last fought a world-title fight in October 2014 against Jamaican Nicholas Walters with the WBA super featherweight title on the line. Read more here
Nonito Donaire outslugs Juarez to win WBO title Nonito Donaire Jr survives a life and death challenge from Mexican Cesar Juarez to once again become a world champion by a unanimous decision at Coliseo Roberto Clemente on Saturday, December 12 (Manila time). The scores were all in favor of the Filipino-American boxer, 116-110, 116-110 and 117-109, as Donaire closes 2015 once again a world champion. Donaire, who has won titles in 4 weight classes, appeared on his way to an early blowout victory, landing a counter right hand in the opening round that stunned Juarez as much with speed as it did with power. Donaire scored two knockdowns in the fourth round, the product of his trademark left hooks, but Juarez rose up each time and continued to apply pressure in hopes of wearing his opponent down. By the sixth round the roughness of the fight was beginning to wear more on the 33-year-old Donaire, as his left eye swelled and he limped noticeably after turning his ankle. Donaire was cut on his right eye in round 7 as Juarez sensed his window of opportunity and landed more frequently on a slowing Donaire. The 24-year-old Juarez, who earned this shot by scoring upsets over Cesar Seda and Juan Carlos Sanchez Jr, pressured Donaire to the ropes late in the fight, and should have been credited with a knockdown in round 10 as Donaire went down on the back end of a left hook. Still, Donaire had enough in the tank to land effective punches off the ropes in round 11 as Juarez tried to take a breather. Donaire could have had the awareness to avoid contact in round 12 and sit on his early lead. Instead, he fought like a champion, swinging for the fences with rights and lefts as Juarez searched for the one punch that could erase Donaire's early work and score a knockout victory. "I will definitely give him a rematch," Donaire said in the post-fight interview, as quoted by Agence France-Presse. "The judges were not fair," Juarez said afterwards. "It was much closer, like a one or two point fight. But I do think Donaire won." The win marks the first time Donaire has held a title at 122 since 2013, following his decision loss to Guillermo Rigondeaux, and gives him his first title belt since losing the WBA featherweight title by knockout to Nicholas Walters in October of 2014. The title had been stripped of Rigondeaux by the WBO due to the inactivity of the unbeaten Cuban. Donaire joins WBO/The Ring magazine junior flyweight champ Donnie Nietes as the only two current Filipino boxing world champions
Both great boxers, I watch nietes fight in Manila a while back in a pinoy Pride bout what a great under exposed man he is.
