Philippine Sports News and Updates

MANILA, Philippines - Nonito Donaire Jr. was at his Sunday best as he electrified the hometown crowd that watched him demolish the previously undefeated Raul Martinez in just four rounds at the Araneta Coliseum.

Brian Viloria was just as furious in stopping “Filipino executioner” Ulises Solis of Mexico in the 11th round, giving Filipino boxing two big reasons to celebrate like they do each time Manny Pacquiao fights.

Donaire retained his International Boxing Federation Federation for the third time even as he mentioned previously and later on after the fight that he’s planning to move up in weight for his next fight.

Viloria, for his part, won the IBF light-flyweight crown being defended by Solis for the eighth time, and proved that he is still the same fighter that won the World Boxing Council 108-lb crown in 2005.

A big Sunday crowd led by Vice President Noli de Castro, former President Joseph Estrada and his friend-turned-foe Luis “Chavit”Singson, who sat from a distance, cheered every punch landed by the Filipinos.

Donaire was all over his opponent, a substitute teacher in San Antonio, Texas, early on, and based on his moves it seemed he had no plan of staying long in the venue that hosted the historic Ali-Frazier “Thrilla in Manila” in 1975.

“I did what I had to do. I got him with some counter-punches with my right and that set up my left. I know I did it all in training that’s why I wasn’t afraid of anyone,” he said.

“I would definitely go up to 118 or 115,” added Donaire, saying that switching to southpaw is also a possibility.

Donaire floored Martinez twice in the opening round, then once in the second and for the last time at the 2:42 mark of the fourth round to remain the champion and prove to all the boxing world that he’s a true champion.

Martinez took a stingy left uppercut and fell backwards in what proved to be the final knockdown. The referee, Pete Podgorski, did not bother to count, waving his hands even as the fallen challenger looked like he wanted to continue.

“I’m not gonna blame the referee and take anything away from Nonito. I’m a big fan of his now. Nonito was warming up and maybe he could have hurt me more,” said Martinez, even sounding thankful to the referee.

“I came to win and I came to score a knockout and take home the belt. But I didn’t do it, and the good thing is I live to fight again. Nonito has a (previous) loss and he learned from it. This is my first loss and I learned something — I’m not invincible and I can lose,” said Martinez, who even waved the Philippine flag up on the ring after the fight.

“It’s something I can get better at. And the Penalosas (his trainers Dodie Boy and his brother, world champion Gerry Penalosa) are the masters of southpaw,” Donaire explained.

Donaire improved to 21-1 with 14 knockouts while Martinez took his first loss in 25 fights.

Donaire connected with a right to the head early on and missed wild punches as he chased the Mexican -American, who just smiled back at him.

But Donaire hit it right on the button just moments after, putting Martinez down with a left uppercut that looked more like a hook in the 2:00 mark. The challenger went down again from a Donaire cross, and wobbled back to his corner after the bell.

During the break after the opening round, Martinez’ corner was already a very busy one.

Donaire smelled blood and went for the kill, landing another left hook that sent his opponent down for the third time in the match. A few times, the Filipino looked careless as he pressed on, allowing Martinez to land a punch or two.

In the third round, Martinez managed to stay away from trouble, and Donaire mellowed down a bit, knowing well enough that he had his challenger under control.

Viloria came out the more aggressive fighter, and threw the first big punch of the fight, a right straight that seemed to have rocked Solis near his corner.

Solis tried to establish his position the rest of the round but a couple more times was tagged to the body and a left hook to the head.

In the second round, Viloria stepped on the gas, coming up with a flurry but hardly landing a big one. Solis continued to size up his foe and may have lost the round anew despite the fact that he wasn’t really hurt.The round ended with Viloria landing a right to the head.

During the break, Solis’ corner egged him to move more from side to side.

Solis started to land some punches in the third round although he was warned by referee Bruce McTavish for a low blow.

A couple of good exchanges marked the fourth round with Viloria going more to the head, using a left hook and a right straight, and Solis digging a few times to the body, and landing some good ones.

Again, Solis was in trouble in the fifth round, taking another left hook that opened a one-inch cut to the Mexican’s left eyebrow. The referee steped in with 1:53 left in the round for the doctor to check on Solis’ eye.They were ordered to continue.

With a minute left, Viloria connected on a flurry, again backing Solis. But just a few seconds later the Mexican unloaded another low blow and the Filipino-American grimaced in pain.

McTavish deducted a point from Solis after a second low blow in the fifth round, and as he was asked to step back, blood flowed from the cut and over his chest.

Solis continued to go to the body in the sixth round but by that time it was clear that Viloria was in control of the match. The referee failed to hear the bell and both boxers threw punches a few seconds after it rang.

Solis got away with another low blow early in the seventh round where he landed some hard punches.But Viloria made it tough to call, connecting on a good right cross and a stingy jab the rest of the way.

Viloria lowered his guard late in the eighth round, and was caught with a powerful right cross to the side of the head. To some, Viloria looked hurt as he held on to the ropes as he backed away.

But Viloria bounced back in the ninth round, landing a big overhand right that opened a smaller cut above Solis right eye. It was a good fight in the 10th round, and entering the last two rounds Solis would have needed a knockout to win.

The crowd chanted Viloria’s name in the 11th round, and he responded with the knockout punch.

In another big match, Denver Cuello of the Philippines survived a cut in the opening round and knocked out Japan’s Hiroshi Matsumoto in the fourth to win the vacant WBC International minimumweight crown.

Both fighters clashed heads early in the match. The Filipino bled on top of his forehead while the Japanese, at 31 almost nine years older, bleeding on the right eyebrow. It was ruled as an accidental headbutt.

Cuello decked Matsumoto with a right uppercut in the third round, and from thereon it was just a matter of time before he finished off his opponent. The end came came in the 43-second mark of the fourth when the Japanese went down for good.

Earlier, Sonny Boy Jaro knocked out Cebu’s Yukka Gejon in the opening round of their scheduled four-rounder at 108 lbs while Drian Francisco also stopped Indonesia’s Sharil Fabanyo in the 1:33 mark of the second round.

Rob Montero of Cebu lowered the curtains with a majority decision over John Mark Bautista of Manila in their 112-lb contest.

Philstar