Congratulations to Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire for the very impressive win over the feared Mexican warrior Fernando "Ko-Chulito" Montiel. The screen caps show the grotesque shape of Montiel's head at the moment of impact of the fateful left hook.
I was rooting for Donaire but I was half expecting a Montiel win despite his being a huge underdog. It turned out that the more than 2-1 odds was well deserved. What was surprising was the quick violent ending.
I think the referee erred in allowing the fight to continue after Montiel seemed to beat the count. Maybe the referee, when he motioned Donaire to a neutral corner, didn't see Montiel's convulsive twitches. But when Montiel fell again as he was trying to get up, it was enough again to stop the fight. Then when the dazed Montiel didn't respond when ordered to come forward, it again should have been enough to wave off the fight. But instead, the referee just wiped the gloves and let the fight continue. Only when the hapless Montiel defenselessly ate two more Donaire bombs that the fight was stopped. Had the fight been closer and went on longer, I'm sure that referee would have done Montiel more favors.
Lost in the euphoria of the win are the side stories leading to the fight. There were rumors that Donaire was a pound overweight and was given an hour to shed off the weight. The rumors led to speculations that he could climb the ring dehydrated. It could also be the reason why the odds dropped from 4-1 to 2-1.
There was also a slight issue over the hand wraps, reminiscent of the Margarito-Mosley fight. Donaire tweeted that Montiel's camp asked a re-wrap. I'm not sure how he tweeted with a gloved hand.
What's next for the Filipino Flash?
He dislodged Sergio Martinez for third place in the pound-for-pound list. He is the youngest in the top five. With Pacquiao and Mayweather (inactive) advancing in years, he is ready to be the top P4P. Experts give him good chances over the younger kids in the top ten like JuanMa Lopez. He might be on top for a long reign.
I hope there's an alias change. There's been a Flash before, Flash Elorde, the most successful Filipino boxer before Pacquiao stormed the scene. The Filipino Flash monicker for Donaire is doubly unimaginative.
Next, I hope he reconciles with his family. No matter what.
I also hope he talks less. I know he walks the talk. But he talks too much. Sound bites are better. Talking less will also make him sound more humble. Stay humble. Don't be airy Donaire. The fans will love you more.