Donaire Montiel Fight

Montiel, Donaire battle for supremacy

2011-02-18T13:52:00.001-08:00

Montiel versus Donaire

Manny Pacquiao has dashed the hopes of many Mexican fighters. Can his countrymate Nonito Donaire do the same to Fernando Montiel, one of Mexico's finest, on Saturday?

LAS VEGAS -- The fight poster that adorns the light boxes throughout Mandalay Bay advertises the much-anticipated showdown between unified bantamweight titleholder Fernando Montiel and top-10 pound-for-pound fighter Nonito Donaire. Near the top, above their photos and under the words "World Championship," the poster reads, in big, bold letters: "Mexico vs. The Philippines."

Besides crowning the top bantamweight in the world, the fight at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on Saturday night (HBO, 9:45 ET/PT) is all about nationalistic pride in the latest installment of a growing rivalry between the boxing-mad countries.

"This fight between Nonito Donaire and Fernando Montiel -- everybody who follows boxing knows it will be a great fight, but the interesting thing for me about this fight [is] the countries where these fighters come from, the Philippines and Mexico," Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said. "There is almost frenzy about this fight. I was informed that in the Philippines there are two one-hour [television] specials promoting the fight, and they are expecting a huge audience on Sunday morning, which is their time equivalent of when the fight will be aired.

"In Mexico, there is tremendous anticipation and great media coverage. It is my hope that the enthusiasm that is coming from the Philippines and Mexico permeates in the United States, that people that follow boxing and casual sports fans watch this fight on HBO because it truly will be a great fight for the sport of boxing."

In the co-feature, Philadelphia welterweight Mike Jones (23-0, 18 KOs) meets Mexico's Jesus Soto-Karass (24-5-3, 16 KOs) in a rematch of Jones' majority decision win on Nov. 13 on the pay-per-view undercard of the Manny Pacquiao-Antonio Margarito fight at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

One of boxing's greatest rivalries has been Mexico-Puerto Rico, which has produced numerous classics in recent decades. But the Mexico-Philippines rivalry is newer. It has its roots in pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao's rise to the top of the sport over the past several years.

Although there have been recent title matches between Filipinos and Mexicans -- the Philippines' Gerry Penalosa against Jhonny Gonzalez and Daniel Ponce De Leon, for example -- it has been Pacquiao who has rolled over one Mexican after another, leading many to dub him "The Mexecutioner."

Just look at the list of Mexicans and Mexican-Americans whom Pacquiao has beaten, mostly in utterly dominant fashion: Antonio Margarito, Oscar De La Hoya, David Diaz, Marco Antonio Barrera (twice), Jorge Solis, Oscar Larios and Hector Velazquez. And Pacquiao is also 1-0-1 against Juan Manuel Marquez and 2-1 against Erik Morales.

Montiel is well-aware of Pacquiao's dominant record against his countrymen and is looking for a little get-back, even if it comes against a friend. Montiel and Donaire, who used to train together, are buddies outside the ring.

"Definitely, with Pacquiao fighting so many Mexicans, he created this rivalry," Montiel said through translator Ricardo Jimenez of Top Rank following Thursday's final news conference. "I look forward to fighting a good Filipino fighter. I want to get even for all the ones Pacquiao has beaten. So I want to get in there and get some wins for us."

Donaire, of course, hopes to continue the dominance of Pacquiao, his boxing idol.

"[The rivalry is] good news for boxing," Donaire said. "Me and Montiel are good friends, but in that ring we are proud of who we are, me being a Filipino and Montiel being a Mexican. We are proud of who we are. The rivalry is healthy for boxing. It's good for boxing. The Mexican fighters are our biggest rival."

Said Montiel: "I know the rivalry is getting better as [the Filipino] fighters are getting better. There is a little extra motivation there. I think both countries, the Philippines and Mexico, want to see their guys win. They are both behind their fighters, and a victory for either side would be important."

If Pacquiao is the No. 1 Filipino fighter -- and there is no doubt about that -- then Donaire (25-1, 17 KOs), who moved to the San Francisco Bay area when he was 10, is clearly No. 2.

"The face of boxing today is Manny Pacquiao and he comes for the Philippines, but right behind him in the Philippines is a man who comes from the same city as Pacquiao, General Santos, and is becoming more and more endeared to the Philippine fans," Arum said of Donaire.

Montiel (43-2-2, 33 KOs), one of five Mexican fighters to win world titles in three weight divisions, is Mexico's No. 2 active fighter behind lightweight champion Marquez.

Montiel would like to become the first Mexican to win a title in a fourth weight class. With a win against Donaire, he will consider looking to the junior featherweight division for the opportunity.

Montiel, 31, unified bantamweight belts last April when he went to Japan and, as the underdog, rallied for a fourth-round knockout of well-respected longtime titleholder Hozumi Hasegawa, who has since moved up in weight and claimed a featherweight belt.

But Donaire, 28, is another formidable opponent. The former flyweight titleholder lost his second pro fight in 2001 and hasn't lost since as he worked his way up the pound-for-pound list with several impressive victories, such as his flyweight title-winning knockout of Vic Darchinyan in 2007 and his fourth-round destruction of former bantamweight titlist Wladimir Sidorenko in December.

"He did impress me," Montiel said of Donaire's domination of Sidorenko. "He looked really great against Sidorenko, but I'm not Sidorenko. Sidorenko just stood there in front of him, and I think you have to take that into consideration too. I am not going to be standing in front of him. I'm going to be moving around and I'll be doing my job too. I think our styles match real well and it's going to be a good fight.

"He is obviously a fighter that has a lot of speed. He moves around the ring and is an intelligent fighter. The question to me is what is going to happen when he fights a guy that is just as intelligent, just as strong and just as good as he is? That is the question -- when he fights someone that is equal to him. I think it's the first time he will find a fighter that is just as good as he is."

While Montiel aspires to make Mexican boxing history by eventually winning a belt in a fourth weight class, Donaire aspires to the accomplishments of Pacquiao, who has won titles in a record eight weight classes.

Donaire won his first title at flyweight, the same division as Pacquiao.

"He is definitely an inspiration in my career -- an inspiration in boxing and how I want to be," Donaire said of Pacquiao. "I am inspired to see no impossibility. To get to 130 pounds or even more. To keep going. That's what he wants me to do, keep moving my feet to see how far I can go."

If Donaire wins, he said he also will probably move up in weight to try to get the most out of his ability and to continue his attempt at following in Pacquiao's footsteps.

He said he loves when he is mentioned along with Pacquiao.

"I embrace it. Manny Pacquiao is one of the greatest in the history of boxing," Donaire said. "What he has accomplished is incredible and beyond a lot of people. For me to even be compared to him or be [ranked] behind him, that's a great thing. That's an achievement.

"I'm going to try my best to win as many titles as I can. Manny keeps me hungry, he keeps me going, and it keeps me motivated to keep fighting and seek the best out there and be the best."

And Donaire sure wouldn't mind if he fulfilled those goals against Mexican fighters.

Sound & Fury: Donaire-Montiel, Lopez-Salido, Morales-Maidana PPV Sludge, & the Sanctioning Body Cliché Blues

2011-02-17T03:59:00.001-08:00

Donaire versus Montiel

(Welcome to another edition of Sound & Fury, the boxing column that blackens eyes and skips clichés. This week TCS takes a look at how some bad pay-per-view cards seem to get free passes from the media, checks in on RingTV.com and finds it lacking, offers a few thoughts about the Nonito Donaire-Fernando Montiel and Juan Manuel Lopez-Orlando Salido bouts, and wonders why writers only get tough with sanctioning bodies. )

It comes as no surprise to see another pay-per-view undercard–in this case the April 9th Morales-Maidana bonanza–puffed up as “stacked” and “loaded.” Dan Rafael, loathe to scrap any tidbit that might feed his prodigious ego, quoted Richard Schaefer on ESPN.com last week about the Morales-Maidana spectacular: “I got the ‘Fight Freak’ card done,” Schaefer said, referring to the hardcore boxing fans he hopes to please with the lineup.”

Actually, this P-P-V is a smorgasbord of stinking sewage. A main event, Maidana-Morales, that might draw the interest of the American Medical Association, James Kirkland versus the dreaded TBA, and the “comeback” of an often dull boxer, Winky Wright, who has failed to win a fight since 2006. In addition, he has scored one–one!–knockout since 1999…before Y2K even hit. His opponent is Matthew Macklin. Who? Exactly. The only good matchup is the Robert Guerrero-Michael Katsidis scrap, but the talented Guerrero has not exactly been a crowd-pleaser since joining Golden Boy Promotions. It looks like all it takes these days is one good fight for a card to be “loaded” and “stacked,” cheap clichés trotted out by a crew with as much insight and critical acumen as a sea anemone.

How this card is any better than Cotto-Mayorga or Pacquiao-Mosley remains to be seen, except that some of the biggest cheerleaders in this industry are also some of the biggest name brands and are boosted by folks who like to take marching orders from logos. What matters is the work, of course, and not self-puffery or an unearned reputation.

*****

The Cruelest Sport almost never reads RingTV, but occasionally, in order to see suspicions invariably confirmed, TCS logs on to see what the biggest—but phoniest—name brand in boxing is up to. Sure enough, several backhand swipes at Pacquiao-Mosley and none at Morales-Maidana. Where was all this righteousness when the Floyd Mayweather—Juan Manuel Marquez fraud was announced? Even Bernard Hopkins-Roy Jones Jr. II failed to get the vapors from the self-esteemed website. And how is it possible to write about Fight Night Club and Solo Boxeo without mentioning the fact that 90 percent of the bouts aired are mismatches and plain outrages?

No doubt all of this is merely a coincidence. But the last time TCS checked in on RingTV, it was to see Michael Rosenthal give a big boost to Golden Boy Promotions when GBP was suspended by the New York State Athletic Commission. Rosenthal also made sure to get in as much slop as possible against George Kimball. (Needless to say, the ISBN of Four Kings is more insightful and interesting than anything Rosenthal, whose only real distinction as a boxing writer is a lack of distinction, has written.) It is nearly impossible to avoid conflict of interest in boxing, but it only takes a few steps to distance yourself from being accused of outright shilling. Unfortunately, some folks just do not appear to be the ambulatory type.

*****

On the other hand, it was a pleasant surprise to see Norm Frauenheim writing for RingTV.com. Frauenheim is a fine stylist with a sensibility most of the ego maniacs out there lack.

*****

Fernando Montiel is one of the best little fighters of the last decade or so. With only a few subpar performances over a 48-fight career–most notably against Mark “Too Sharp” Johnson and Jhonny Gonzalez–Montiel is one of a vanishing breed—a true prizefighter. Defend a trinket in Germany? Okey-dokey. Face talented Z Gorres in the Philippines? Sure, why not? Travel to Japan to face Hozumi Hasegawa? All right. Take on Nonito Donaire as a huge underdog? Check.

And on Saturday night, Montiel will bring all of his skill and craft into the ring against “The Filipino Flash.” But does that even matter? Donaire did not look quite human thrashing Wladimir Sidorenko a few months ago and the truth is Sidorenko is a solid fighter. When you do what Donaire did against a good professional, you are talking about a special talent, one whose flaws—iffy defense, for example—are hard to exploit because of an explosiveness not often seen in a boxing ring. Montiel is a world-class boxer. Pray for him, anyway.

*****

Two erratic young fighters—Mike Alvarado and Vernon Paris– face off on the Juan Manual Lopez-Orlando Salido undercard scheduled for April 16th. Alvarado, who has been sidelined by legal troubles over the last few years, will probably expose Paris for the walking mystification he is. Paris, who has survived attempts on his life, has been suspended for drug use, and whose promoter, Carlos Llinas, is an unlicensed fraud, has found his career overshadowed by his tribulations. On April 16th, he has a chance to let a bigger audience see if his talent measures up to his limited notoriety. In the end, perhaps the shadows suit him best. There is a reason, after all, that Paris has rarely emerged from the corrupt Michigan boxing scene.

*****

Grumbling has also been heard about Lopez meeting Salido in the main event. Lopez is a thrilling, two-fisted banger, one of the most exciting boxers in the ring today. His lack of defense and his swinging lantern jaw, however, means that any legitimate fighter will have his chances to score a KO against him. And Salido, 34-11-2, is a real prizefighter. Not the most talented, but capable of finding openings, and following a game plan. Salido is not Shelby Pudwill or one of these Solo Boxeo stiffs delivered fresh from the mausoleum after GBP matchmakers dial 1-800-CORPSES. Lopez is a danger to everyone in the ring when he fights, including himself, and Salido will do his best to fight through the maelstrom sure to beat down on him from the opening bell.

*****

Whenever boxing writers want to pretend they are muckrakers, they lampoon the contemptible sanctioning bodies, an easy target for folks too lazy to correct errors culled from PR materials, or to mention that a boxer scheduled for an upcoming bout has suffered a brain bleed. Some of these jokers act is if Bert Sugar didn’t excoriate the Alphabet Boys for years in the pages of The Ring and Boxing Illustrated. Mostly, however, they never seem able to provide any context or background for their sanctioning body kvetching. The WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO are a much larger part of the boxing landscape than most people think.

Sanctioning bodies were propped up by television networks in the late 1970s after the corrupt U.S. Championship Tournament was exposed. In order to find some kind of organizational sense out of the chaos of boxing, ABC, CBS, and NBC, incredibly, turned to the WBC and WBA for order. From an article by Pat Putnam in Sports Illustrated: “The irony is that both the WBC and the WBA were small-time operations, cadging nickels and dimes, until the urgent need of U.S. network television for “respectable” fighter rankings catapulted the organizations into positions of power. Until 1977, boxing’s rating bible was The Ring magazine. In that year it was discovered that The Ring was supplying phony records and rankings for the Don King-promoted, ABC-aired United States Boxing Championships. Goodbye, Ring; hello, alphabet soup.”

But the real reason these organizations, which, for some reason, bring to mind the recent discovery of intelligent slime, thrive and keep popping up is simple: the fighters, networks, and promoters need them and court them. For fighters, in particular, the proliferation of belts means more opportunities for bigger paychecks. The boxing ring, to paraphrase a Deadwood expression, is a hell of a place to make a fortune, and most boxers leave that inhospitable place having lost the shirt off their backs.

Finally, networks and promoters get to play up the “championship” angle because average boxing fans are not sophisticated enough, apparently, to deny the temptations of hype. The days of Harry Wills and Luis Firpo drawing 70,000 fans for a non-title no-decision fight are long gone. Now everything has to have bells and whistles attached to it: music videos, banshee wailing announcers, exclamation points, 3-D technology, Sniff-O-Rama, etc. And bogus belts are one of many gewgaws used to promote a bout.

And why, if these sanctioning bodies are all meaningless, do media types soil their diapers whenever a “unification” is announced? And why do websites consistently mention that Kenny Last beat Willie Getup for the WBF Youthful Championship? Or print absurd press releases that mention who fights who for the Mestizo Championship of the Dakotas? Or how about the bozos who extol the virtues of the IBO? If not for fighters, promoters, networks, and third-rate hacks, sanctioning bodies would not exist. Plain and simple. Ragging on them only reveals a surface intellect, but maybe we ought to consider ourselves lucky to get even that.

DONAIRE READY TO TAKE LIMELIGHT

2011-02-17T03:57:00.000-08:00

Donaire winning fights

Manny Pacquiao was just another regular hustling, bustling super-featherweight in June 2007, when Nonito Donaire knocked out Vic Darchinyan in sensational fashion to claim the IBF flyweight title.
If Pacquiao's truly great days were still ahead of him, it seemed momentarily that they had just arrived for his fellow Filipino Donaire, who had not been given much hope against the unbeaten, big-punching Darchinyan.
Yet it did not prove to be the breakthrough Donaire had been hoping for, hampered mainly by the fact that Darchinyan showed little inclination to climb back in the ring for what would have been a big money re-match.
While Pacquiao moved on to pay-per-view blockbusters against the likes of Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton, Donaire contented himself with a number of low-key defences before moving up to bantamweight last time out.
On Saturday night in the suitably plush surroundings of the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Donaire will finally get his chance to put his name up in lights alongside his countryman once and for all.
In one of the year's most anticipated fights, Donaire takes on the brilliant Mexican Fernando Montiel, holder of the WBC and WBO bantamweight titles and key-holder to a legacy Donaire hopes will one day match Pacquiao's.
"Manny is an inspiration in my career - an inspiration in boxing and how I want to be," said Donaire.
"I am inspired and I see no impossibility to move up to 130lbs or even more - to see how far I can go.
"First there is the chance to become undisputed champion. I am willing to move up but after Montiel I will have two belts and will need one more to accomplish a dream I had since I was a small boy."
Donaire versus Montiel is a mighty fight. Since battering the mouthy Darchinyan, Donaire has reeled off seven victories, six inside the distance. In his bantam debut last time out, he stopped tough Volodymyr Sydorenko in four.
"In my fight with Sydorenko I felt stronger and faster," said Donaire.
"Mainly in the last two weeks of camp I'm usually cutting down in weight, but this time we are not having to worry about that too much."
In Montiel, Donaire is meeting another mighty puncher who had a stellar 2010 by any standards, scoring four straight world-title defences inside four rounds, including a fearless trip to Japan to knock out local hero Hozumi Hasegawa.
Pleasingly, Donaire and Montiel are old friends and thoroughly respectful of each other's abilities. While Donaire obviously believes he will win, he acknowledges the threat posed by the Mexican.
"I think Montiel is the most complete fighter I will have faced," added Donaire.
"This is the biggest fight of my career. People say he may be shot after so long up there, but he is up there and capable of anything.
"This is going to be a strategic fight. He's the smartest guy I've ever faced. One mistake from me or one mistake from him and it's going to be over. It's not going to last 12 rounds."
It is the kind of fight the boxing world badly needs - a genuine, explosive 50-50 contest between two fighters who have never once shirked the world-title opportunities sent their way.
None of Montiel's recent performances has suggested his advancing years could prove a factor and as a fully-fledged and concussive-punching bantamweight he may just start a slim favourite.
But if Donaire can pull off another stunning victory like he did against Darchinyan three years ago, it will be time for boxing's other Filipino to finally get the plaudits he was strangely denied.
"Everybody was shocked," recalled Donaire about the Darchinyan fight.
"People wondered if it was a fluke or not. I've defeated everyone put in front of me. This is the opportunity I wanted. Now I have to make it happen."

Montiel bides his time in bid for glory

2011-02-17T03:51:00.001-08:00

Montiel "the man"

LAS VEGAS – At times, it seems there are more weight classes in boxing than varieties of soft drinks on sale at the supermarket. With 17 weight classes and four major organizations sanctioning world titles, a boxer has a greater opportunity to win belts in multiple weight classes now than at any point in the sport’s 100-plus-year history.

If Montiel gets past Donaire, he’ll likely make the leap to super bantamweight.
(Leonel Martinez/Jam Media/Getty Images)

And yet, for fighters who begin their career under 130 pounds, there is a something of a glass ceiling limiting their opportunity to win belts in multiple divisions. Only nine men in boxing history have won world championships sanctioned by the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council and the World Boxing Organization in four or more weight classes.

Seven of those nine began their careers at 130 pounds or more. Only Leo Gamez, a Venezuelan who won belts at strawweight, junior flyweight, flyweight and super flyweight, and Manny Pacquiao – who has won sanctioning-body titles in seven divisions and had recognition in eight – have started under 130.

Six Mexican boxers, headlined by Hall of Famer Julio Cesar Chavez, have captured three belts. None, though, were able to get that elusive fourth crown.
Though he’s been the lowest profile of the Mexican Super Six, Fernando Montiel may be the one who finally breaks that surprisingly sturdy glass ceiling.
Montiel, ranked 10th in the current Yahoo! Sports ratings, meets No. 9 Nonito Donaire Jr. on Saturday at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in a can’t-miss bantamweight unification bout shown on HBO.
If Montiel (44-2 with 34 knockouts) gets past the classy Donaire, he’s likely to make the jump to super bantamweight in a bid to chase that fourth belt.
Montiel, one of the finalists for the 2010 Yahoo! Sports Fighter of the Year, has flown largely under the radar, quietly winning bouts in spectacular fashion yet somehow not getting much recognition for it. But a high-profile win over Donaire and a subsequent run at a super bantamweight belt would change all that.
Montiel isn’t prone to boasting, but he has promised to stop Donaire on Saturday.
“I will knock him out before the 10th round,” Montiel said. “I rarely make predictions, but for this fight, for some reason, I really feel good and confident that I will knock him out.”
Far from the spotlight, Montiel is quietly putting together a Hall of Fame résumé and moving up the ranks among his country’s greats. He seems a good bet to finish his career with more than 50 victories and has a better-than-average shot at claiming at least one more championship.
Montiel has carefully plotted his move up in weight and says he believes that’s what will allow him to continue to excel at super bantamweight and possibly even featherweight. He’s only 31 and showing few signs of battle, so it’s hardly out of the question.
Montiel fought at flyweight from the beginning of his career in 1996 through 2001, when he vacated the title to move to super flyweight. Though he had a few bantamweight fights mixed in, he largely boxed as a 115-pounder from 2002 through 2008. And from 2008 until now, Montiel has campaigned at bantamweight.
He didn’t rush up in weight to chase an opponent, preferring to work in the gym to build his body to be ready for the jump.
“To go up in multiple weight classes, you have to be smart, and I think a lot of people haven’t done it right,” Montiel said. “They think it’s just good to jump to the next weight level at any time. But we haven’t done that. We’ve worked and we’ve built and we wait until we feel we can win at the next level. I think I can go a couple of more classes, but for sure, I can at least make it one more to get that fourth. I think I can do five, to be honest with you, but I will do it the way I’ve always done: I’ll take my time, I’ll be smart and I’ll make the move when the time is right.”
Montiel has been active for five more years and has 20 more fights than Donaire, who concedes Montiel’s edge in experience.
The two have maintained a casual friendship and Donaire has, in a way, become a clone of Montiel, using his mind as well as his physical skills to win.
“[His experience] does give him an advantage,” Donaire said of Montiel. “He knows the ring well. His advantage is height and speed. I think I am a better strategist than Montiel. Everybody has their flaws and strengths – and Montiel’s strength is experience – but I also have my strengths.
“His other strength is his ability to adapt to styles; he can be versatile. He has a tremendous punch – a good body punch. But in terms of strength, I have it. In terms of experience, he does, but I have fought enough guys to say I do also.”
Donaire is about a 2-1 favorite, but Montiel shrugs it off. He has been around long enough to know that others’ opinions of the fight don’t mean a thing. He’s had a history of going on the road and winning when no one thought he could.
Montiel won the WBC bantamweight belt as a big underdog in April 2010, when he went to Tokyo and knocked the highly regarded Hozumi Hasegawa out cold in the fourth round. He’s won fights against elite opponents not only in Mexico, but in the United States, Japan and the Philippines.
Winning on the road isn’t easy in any sport, but dealing with that challenge is part of what makes Montiel great.
“It’s a confidence builder, knowing you can go anywhere and win,” he said. “But the reason you can do that is by preparing the right way. I study my opponent. I have my game plan and I know what adjustments I might make. I get into shape. I buy totally into what we’re doing and I know that when I’ve done that, I can go anywhere and win.”
He’s 17-2 with 14 knockouts in world championship fights. Unless you’re a hard-core fan, you may not have heard of him. But after what promises to be a knock-down, drag-out brawl on Saturday at Mandalay Bay, chances are, you won’t miss him again.
It may not be long before Montiel goes down in history as the first Mexican-born fighter to win world titles in four weight divisions. It’s something greats such as Chavez, Salvador Sanchez, Jose Napoles, Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera, Jorge Arce and Juan Manuel Marquez haven’t accomplished.
If Montiel defeats Donaire, he may get to fight the winner of Saturday’s undercard bout between Arce and Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. – which is for the WBO super bantamweight belt – for a shot at that elusive fourth belt.
Mexico has developed some of the greatest boxers in history, but make no mistake: Fernando Montiel belongs on any short list of his country’s best. The title belts in his trophy room will tell you that.

Fernando Montiel looking ripped and focused on eve of open media workout Continue reading on Examiner.com: Fernando Montiel looking ripped and focused on eve of open media workout

2011-02-17T03:50:00.000-08:00

In less than six hours WBC and WBO bantamweight champion Fernando Montiel and former flyweight champion Nonito Donaire will both participate in an open media workout at the Top Rank Gym in Las Vegas, Nevada in advance of their HBO-televised clash this Saturday night. Montiel was actually able to sweep into the gym unnoticed last night, at least by most individuals, and he participated in a workout of his own inside the facility.

Juan Perez, who oversees duties at the gym, told me the facility is no longer open to the public because their was too much drama taking place inside the building between various cohorts from the boxing world in recent times. The facility has hosted some of boxing's biggest stars over the years and is now used for only special occasions.

You can consider Montiel-Donaire that exact kind of event.

Montiel sports a 44-2-2 record with 34 knockouts and is coming off of a renaissance year in 2010 in which he went 4-0, all knockouts, while also scoring a huge upset over Hozumi Hasegawa in Japan. Well-traveled photographer Rafael Soto was on hand to witness Montiel in training last night and he definitely looks shredded and ready for battle with the fight just a few odd days away.

In Donaire he will be going up against one of the sport's rising talents, a man with much acumen, speed, power, and unorthodoxy. Donaire put in some rigorous work for this contest at the Undisputed Boxing Gym in San Carlos, California and is priming himself for the fight of his life.

Montiel-Donaire analyses from trainer, fighter and writer's perspectives

2011-02-17T03:47:00.000-08:00

Former World Champion and Nonito Donaire Jr.'s trainer Robert Garcia, Ring Magazine writer Doug Fischer and lightweight title contender Brandon Rios share with me their thoughts on the big fight this weekend between WBC & WBO World Bantamweight Champion Fernando Montiel vs. Nonito Donaire Jr. at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

From trainer's point of view - I asked Robert Garcia how Montiel-Donaire would play out:
Robert Garcia - "Inside the ring, my instructions would be, 'don't go out there and get into his game plan'. Montiel knows that his only chance is for them to get into a war and they exchange punches and he lands a hook or a good uppercut. That's what he's hoping for. That's what he's asking for- a war. He's asking for cuts, he's asking for knockdowns, but that's not what I want from Nonito."
From fighter's perpective - I asked Brandon Rios who he thinks is going to win:
Brandon Rios - "Donaire, he looks good. He's been looking good in his last three fights. He looked good last December in Anaheim when he stopped that guy (Sidorenko), so you know, Donaire is a strong opponent, he's very big and I see a knockout. He's been looking good. He looked good in sparring when I was training up there. I'm going for Donaire."
From writer's perspective - I asked Ring Magazine writer Doug Fischer to break down Montiel-Donaire:
Doung Fischer - "I like Donaire [...] I like his height, I like his reach, obviously I like his talent, his handspeed. He has to box a disciplined fight. When you're the taller, rangier man, and you have comparable speed to Donaire, you force him to labor on the outside and begin to second-guess himself. If Nonito fights Fernando the same way he fought that guy from Mexico on Showtime (Hernan Marquez), where's kind of switching back and forth and loading up with one shot, he's not setting things up with his jab, he's not boxing tall, he could play into Montiel's hands. Montiel has wonderful timing, a beautiful left hook to the body- we all know that left hook is a game changer- Hasegawa was doing well with Montiel until he got clipped witha hook nine seconds at the end of the first round. So Montiel is dangerous at any time and what he likes to do against a taller, rangier guy with speed, is he likes to try to take chances right at the end of every round. I think he's going to try to do that with Nonito. I think Nonito is too smart for that, and if he control the pace of the fight, if he can dictate the pace of the fight, from the outside - he has to use the jab to set things up from the outside- I think he's going to control the fight and I think he could catch Montiel late in the fight, but I like Donaire by decision. I think it's going to be an intense boxing match."

Montiel's Back on HBO

2011-02-17T03:44:00.000-08:00

Photos of Montiel (Winning)

This Saturday night, WBC/WBO bantamweight titlist Fernando Montiel faces Nonito Donaire in the main event on HBO’s “Boxing After Dark.” For Montiel, it’s not clear what is the bigger achievement for him: facing the “Filipino Flash” in one of the more significant bantam bouts in recent memory or the fact he’s back on the “Network of Champions” after basically being banned by the network after disappointing outings versus Mark “Too Sharp” Johnson in 2003 and Jhonny Gonzalez three years later, his only two professional losses.

But it was the manner in which he lost- where he put up safe, overly-cautious performances- that had him exiled from their airwaves.

At the press conference to officially kick off this event in early January at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, Montiel proudly pointed up at the promotional banner that adorned the HBO logo touting his bout at the Mandalay Bay. After serving five years in the penalty box for boredom, he was back.
"I always took it as a challenge," explained Montiel, through Top Rank publicist, Ricardo Jimenez, "that when they said that, I said, ’This is a challenge to me and I will return.’ And I know that I had some other fights on the undercards of big fights but this is the first time I’m back as the main event that night."

When asked to explain those two rather tepid outings against Johnson and Gonzalez, Montiel said, "I think more than anything, it was just the fact I didn’t train at home. Both fights I went out of town; I went out to train. They said, ’Let’s concentrate; let’s get out of here. These are big fights, important fights,’ and we went out. We went out of the city. We had never done that before; both fights we ended up losing. So I said we were never going to do that again.

"We stay home now," continued Montiel, who hails from Los Mochis, Mexico, an area which produces an abundance of boxers. "I have everything we need here. We got the right sparring; there’s no need to go and I really feel great."

Since that loss to Gonzalez, “Cochulito” (also known as “KO-chulito”) has gone undefeated in 12 outings. During that time, he bounced around from Golden Boy Promotions (which, at that time, did no business with Showtime, therefore limiting his opportunities) to Zanfir Promotions, which has kept him as active as any world-class prizefighter in the world. After the loss to Gonzalez at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California, he was derided by the always-tough-to-please Mexican fight fan, who believed he did not fit the description of what a Mexican fighter should be. He was fast and flashy but not tough and durable. A guy more likely to box from the perimeter of the ring but not bang on the inside. Some didn’t like the fact his boxing trunks were shorter than John Stockton’s basketball shorts (like that old Nair commercial, he wore short shorts).

Slowly but surely, Montiel has become the most accomplished fighter from Mexico in the sport today. And that distinction was sealed when he blasted out the respected Hozumi Hasagawa last April in Japan to capture the WBC 118-pound strap.

"It was such an important fight; it was a challenge to go to Japan. To do something big, that’s what motivated me more than anything for the fight and once I got the win, I figured a lot of people would notice it, how important the fight was, how important the win was and I knew people would turn and look and say, ’Y’ know what, we need this guy on HBO again," said Montiel, who sports a record of 44-2-2 with 34 knockouts.

The question was, would HBO bring back Montiel? When a network effectively expunges you from their airwaves, what can you really do? Bob Arum jokes (well, sort of), "I guess you sign a deal with Al Haymon so you get a comeback fight." But seriously, Montiel, through his body of work, earned his way back to HBO. "I think so," agreed Arum, who is promoting this weekend’s bout. "Montiel proved by his subsequent fights what a great fighter he was/is. And the fight that was in demand was Donaire and Montiel and y’ know, he worked his way back where he was a viable TV star. I mean, certainly, that victory in Japan helped make it for him."

What helped matters out is that HBO- which doesn’t do much business below the lightweight division normally- found a suitable dance partner in Donaire and this match-up came relatively cheap to the network.

"You will see because it’s a matter of public record, the amount we’re getting paid for Montiel-Donaire is less than [Sergiy] Dzinziruk is getting to fight Sergio Martinez and it’s like 50-percent of what [Andre] Berto gets for a fight," said Arum. "This fight is going on and I accepted it because we wanted to get it on and Showtime wouldn’t do it because they were doing a tournament. If we went into the tournament, it would’ve been one of those six-man deals and- particularly in the bantamweight division- is ridiculous. An eight-man tournament is fine; a four-man tournament is fine. A six-man tournament- is crazy. It’s crazy. Maybe it works for the super middleweights but it doesn’t work for bantamweights.

"To wait two years to go through this isn’t what my guys wanted. So obviously, Showtime couldn’t buy the fight; HBO bought it, paid very little money. We’re happy it’s on and upward with bigger and better things."

When Montiel got word that HBO had purchased this fight, he said, "I was very happy to hear it. They told me right after I was coming back from running and I got so excited. I said, ’I gotta run some more.’ So I started running again. This is just one of those fights. I always wanted to fight one of those tough guys. I wanted to fight Vic Darchinyan; once he lost to Donaire, that was my main goal- fighting Donaire. That was very important for me. It’s a fight that I wanted and I needed."

A lot is on the line. Not only the claim as the best bantamweight in the world but to open up other opportunities, whether it be the winner of the April 23^rd contest between IBF beltholder Joseph Agbeko and Abner Mares or lucrative fights at the junior featherweight class. But Montiel understands more than anyone that it’s not only the result of the fight that’s important, it’s the manner in which he performs that is just as vital.

"For me, it’s an important fight, not only the fact that I want to win the fight; I want to look great and everyone has to enjoy my fights," said Montiel, who has become more crowd-pleasing in recent years and is armed with one of the most lethal left hooks in the business. "It has to be one of those fights people will remember. And to me, it’s just the beginning; now people are noticing me more. A win here, it’s just the beginning to the next level."

10-OZ

In the state of Nevada, welterweights use ten-ounce gloves (most jurisdictions allow for eight-ounces at 147 pounds), unless, like in the case of the 2008 showdown between Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito, both sides decide to go with the smaller gloves. In this weekend’s “Boxing After Dark” co-feature between welters Mike Jones and Jesus Soto-Karass, I’m told that ten-ounce gloves will be utilized at the behest of Jones. Soto-Karass and his camp preferred the eights.

This, to me, is interesting, why would Jones, who is the harder, faster puncher, want to go with the bigger mitts? Could it be that he is having lingering problems with his hands or maybe his camp doesn’t trust his chin? I just find it odd that a fighter who has fought the large majority of time in the eight-ounce gloves would now decide to go with tens.

A Philly fighter deciding to go with bigger gloves?! Say it ain’t so. Bennie Briscoe must be rolling over in his grave.

Donaire prepares for Montiel with family rift hovering over him

2011-02-17T03:41:00.001-08:00

Nonito Donaire isn’t the first fighter to experience the damaging effect money can have on relationships, even with those supposedly closest to you. Successful people in general often discover friends and family members they never knew they had.
The impact of the almighty dollar on Donaire’s relationship with his parents and brother has played out publicly in the Filipino media, though. Things have gotten so bad that Donaire’s mother actually told a reporter that she doesn’t care whether her son beats Fernando Montiel on Saturday in Las Vegas.
Cameron Dunkin, Donaire’s longtime manager, is concerned that the acrimony among those involved will affect his performance against Montiel.
Rachel Donaire, the fighter’s wife, isn’t as concerned because – as sad as it sounds – he is used to it. Besides, she is doing everything in her power to shield her husband from any non-boxing-related news as he prepares for the biggest fight of his life.
The only certain thing is that the situation has evolved into an enormous mess, one that will be very difficult to resolve.
“Money is the root of all evil,” Rachel Donaire said when asked to summarize the drama that has engulfed the Donaire family.
The facts surrounding the situation are convoluted but the following should give you an idea.
The trouble started in earnest when Donaire's father, Nonito Sr., ceased to be his trainer after a victory over Moruti Mthalane in 2008. The presumption has always been that son fired father but that wasn't the case, according to Rachel, who said the elder Donaire simply walked away when he was accused of pocketing camp money.
The fighter has been criticized by some in the Philippines ever since for what they perceive as disloyalty to his father, a former soldier.
Nonito Sr. told a reporter that he took only $240 of camp money, which he said he used to feed his staff.
Rachel called that a “half truth,” saying that in fact the amount was $1,240. And clearly that issue was only the last straw in a deteriorating professional relationship, as the fighter couldn’t find peace under a strong-willed father who he says treated him like a child.
Complicating the situation was the arrival of Rachel, who, as the fighter’s wife, suddenly had more influence over him than his family.
“I finally became my own man,” Donaire said in a story on Boxingnews’ Web site. “They were not ready to accept that. When I chose my wife, they were not ready to accept that. They did not want me to get married, they just wanted me to keep doing things that I’ve done for them and they wouldn’t accept my wife. … I love my wife. She’s done so much for me and when my dad … you see, the thing is, he was an old-school kind of guy, you know. So we got into it because he just commands and commands and commands. That’s the type of military mentality he has. You are always going to be wrong. There’s nothing you can say. Regardless if the whole world thinks you’re right, in my dad’s eyes I know it’s going to be wrong.
“And I’ve always been wrong in his eyes. That’s why I stuck to boxing, because I didn’t want to disappoint my dad. And it’s fine because I got to where I’m at now.”
That article exacerbated the situation.
Donaire’s mother, Imelda, responded in a subsequent interview with Filipino writer Anthony Andales, dimissing as “lies” her son’s comments about his father, the fact he said he was raised in poverty in the Philippines before the family moved to the U.S. and his contention that his siblings were favored over him .
“Enough is enough,” she was quoted as saying. “I have to air our side now, and wants (sic) to make my world champion son be aware that, we his family are listening to all lies, he thrown (sic) to us. He will certainly get a spanking from me if he won’t stop."
Donaire said his father was overbearing. His father said he was strict because he wanted his sons, Nonito and Glenn, to find success in the ring.
Donaire said his family was so poor that food had to be rationed. His mother said there was always enough for the family.
Donaire said his relatives saw the older Glenn as the one who would succeed and treated him better than Nonito. Nonsense, says his parents.
Yes, the gulf between them is wide on many issues.
However, money seems to be the overriding wedge between the family members. Nonito Donaire Sr., his ex-wife and Glenn, who say their sacrifices helped the younger Nonito find success, believe he owes them. And the fighter has obliged, although apparently not to their satisfaction
Rachel said she recently was approached by someone outside the family who said, “Your husband makes millions of dollars and you can’t give your family money?” Her response: “Who told you we have millions of dollars?”
The fact is Donaire is far from a millionaire. The most he has ever made in one fight is $250,000 and he probably hasn’t earned $500,000 total, of which he has kept a fraction after paying his handlers and taxes. Still, Rachel estimated that she and her husband have given the family around $200,000 over the past few years.
“Nonito can’t support his brother, his (brother’s) wife and kids, and his mother and father,” said Dunkin, who insists that Donaire and his wife live modestly. “I said to him, ‘Nonito, you don’t make that kind of money. You’ll be broke.’ I said, ‘What’s gonna happen when your career is over?’ I told him to bust his ass and make as much as he can, don’t spend any money, be smart, and when this is all over, you’ll have something.
“His family doesn’t see it that way.”
Donaire hasn’t said much publicly about the family rift, other than the aforementioned story.
That apparently will change, though. After the Montiel fight, he and Rachel plan to make a public statement, which will include cashed checks – endorsed by family members – that quantify the amount of money they received from Donaire.
That would set the record straight, which Donaire obviously feels is necessary because of the damage done to his reputation, but it might also exacerbate the situation further. And no one wants that.
“There’s a letter Nonito wrote to his mom about a year ago,” Rachel said. “He said he wished he never became a world champion because then no one would be fighting. He said, ‘If I didn’t have money, what would there be to fight about?’”

Coverage of Donaire vs Montiel: montieldonaire.blogspot.com Coverage

2011-02-17T03:38:00.000-08:00

WBA Super Middleweight Champion Andre Ward will be joining the Boxingchannel.com coverage team for the Feb. 19th Nonito Donaire-Fernando Montiel Bantamweight Title match.

Ward, who is now in the semi-finals of the Super Six World Boxing Classic on Showtime, will be providing analysis and doing interviews at the February 18th weigh-in and the post fight press conference on February 19th. Ward will be joining Al Bernstein and Trip Mitchell on the coverage team. All the features and interviews can be seen at http://montieldonaire.blogspot.com/.
An Olympic champion, Ward is undefeated as a pro and has plans to continue in boxing as a broadcaster after his career has ended. He has worked as an in-studio boxing analyst for Comcast in Northern California. Now, he joins http://montieldonaire.blogspot.com/. for this assignment.

Ward said, " People are starting to see how important commentating is to me both currently as an active fighter, and as a second career once I retire. Al Bernstein is a legend in this business and has been extremely helpful to me as I tackle this new challenge, and I'm excited to work with him and the Boxing Channel team to cover my first fight as a member of the media. Some people think that commentating while I am an active fighter is a distraction but it is something I really enjoy."
http://montieldonaire.blogspot.com/. includes coverage of all major events, interviews with the biggest names in the sport, live boxing action, and the collection of exciting fights from Forum Boxing. These matches feature great champions like Oscar DeLaHoya, Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Manuel Marquez, Jorge Paez and many others. All the content on the channel can be viewed free of charge.

MONTIEL MEDIA DAY PHOTO

2011-02-17T03:34:00.000-08:00

Photos of Montiel

Feb. 16, 2011, Las Vegas, Nevada -- WBC/WBO Bantamweight champion Fernando Montiel shadow boxes during media day for his upcoming world title fight against two-time world champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire to be held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on Saturday, February 19, live on HBO Boxing After Dark. Top Rank promotes this event in association with Zanfer Promotions. -- Photo Credit: Chris Farina - Top Rank.

DONAIRE MEDIA DAY PHOTO

2011-02-17T03:29:00.000-08:00

Photos of Donaire

Feb. 16, 2011, Las Vegas, Nevada -- Two-time world champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire poses during media day for his upcoming world title fight against WBC/WBO Bantamweight champion Fernando Montiel to be held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on Saturday, February 19.
Top Rank promotes this event in association with Zanfer Promotions and will be broadcast live on HBO Boxing After Dark.

Images from Las Vegas: Montiel exuding confidence days before Donaire clash

2011-02-17T03:27:00.000-08:00

Mere minutes after Nonito Donaire had left the Top Rank Gym, finishing up his portion of the open media workout for his fight this Saturday night against Fernando Montiel, the Los Mochis, Mexico native arrived with his team. Montiel will defend his WBC and WBO bantamweight crown against his Fil-Am rival this Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Slightly peculiar about Donaire's appearance was the fact that he simply fielded questions from the media, participated in a photo shoot and then left the building. Taking Donaire's lead, Montiel too wasn't exactly in the fighting spirit on this day as his only real work consisted of a brief shadowboxing display and a few minutes on the speed bag.

Prior to that, Montiel was able to field various questions from the media in relation to his fight this weekend. What stood out about the 31-year old, three-division champion was just how confident he is heading into this fight. Speaking with vigor and passion, Montiel let it be known that the 2-1 odds against him don't mean a thing and that he is here to upset Donaire's apple cart.

As his time speaking near the ring came to a close I asked Montiel myself if it was hard to find the right kind of sparring partners to emulate Donaire's tricky style. He revealed that he had been putting in work with a wide range of talent down in Mexico, including southpaws and fighters with tremendous size.

I also asked Montiel if he felt he had the power to end Donaire's night early or if he thought he needed to break him down with an accumulation of punches.

"I don't think I have the power," Montiel said."I know I have the power to hurt him. Whether it's with one shot or over time."

This is do or die for both men and you could sense that in Montiel's voice. Saturday night can't come soon enough.