It’s the second time Donaire has received the accolade. The first was in 2007 for his picture-perfect, one punch stoppage of cocky Australian IBF/IBO flyweight champion Vic “Raging Bull” Darchinyan in the fifth round of their title fight on July 7, 2007.
Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire’s crushing second round defeat of highly touted Mexican veteran Fernando Montiel to win the WBC/WBO bantamweight title has been chosen by the prestigious Sports Illustrated as “The Knockout of the Year” for 2011.
Donaire caught Montiel with a terrific left hook in a fight card at the Mandalay Bay Resort Hotel and Casino last February 19 in a fight telecast by the giant broadcast network ABS-CBN.
Donaire dropped the Mexican champion some two minutes into round two with a devastating left hook, the same punch with which he demolished Darchinyan and although referee Russel Mora, mistakenly to many allowed the fight to continue after Montiel beat the count, Donaire went after the hapless Montiel forcing Mora to call a halt at Sports Illustrated said “Yes, Montiel got up from the crushing overhand left that nearly caved in half his face but he only lasted a few seconds before the referee stepped in to save him.”
Donaire who is currently ranked No. 4 in the Ring Magazine pound for pound list behind Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather Jr and Sergio Martinez is moving up in weight to battle former WBO super bantamweight champion Wilfredo Vazquez Jr for the vacant 122 pound title reportedly on February 11. The article said “Couple that with the significance of the matchup – both Donaire and Montiel were pound for pound guys going at it in a highly anticipated bantamweight bout the knockout becomes that much more impressive.”
