NEXT PACQUIAO?

by People's Journal

ANAHEIM, California (AFP) - Filipino bantamweight star Nonito Donaire stopped Ukranian Wladimiro Sidorenko in the fourth round on Saturday to set up a February 19 world title showdown with Mexico’s Fernando Montiel.

Sidorenko was knocked to the canvas twice in the first three rounds and took a hard right to the nose in the fourth that prompted him to take a knee on the canvas. Referee Marcos Rosales halted the bout after 1:48 of the fourth round.

“I wanted to make a statement in this fight and I did,” Donaire said.

Former world flyweight champion Donaire, 28, stretched his win streak to 24 fights over 9 1/2 years, improving to 25-1 with his 17th early stoppage.

“We worked really hard for this fight,” Donaire said. “I was motivated and now the fight with Montiel is set. I knew I was able to dominate anybody if I’m motivated 100 percent.”

Former World Boxing Association world bantamweight champion Sidorenko, 34, fell to 22-3 with two drawn after the first knockout loss of his career. His only prior losses were by decision to Panamanian southpaw Anselmo Moreno.

“I felt I could take him out with one punch any time so that’s what I tried to stick to,” Donaire said.

Donaire admitted that a fight with Montiel could be the first step in his bid for a crack at superstardom, four years after he stunned the boxing world by stopping previously unbeaten Armenian Vic Darchinyan with a fifth round knockout to win the world flyweight championship.

And beating Montiel could likewise be his ticket on following the path of boxing superstar and fellow Filipino Manny Pacquiao.

“I’m hoping to be able to get where Manny is,” Donaire told Yahoo sports’ boxing expert Kevin Iole. “Who wouldn’t? I want to be a star. I want to fight the big fights and the best guys. It’s not right now for anyone to talk about being another Manny Pacquiao. There’s only one Manny Pacquiao.”

Trainer Robert Garcia believes Donaire has what it takes to become the next boxing star after Pacquiao.

“When I was brought into training camp last year, I saw that he was very talented,” Garcia said of Donaire. 

“But he lacked that final decision. He always fought with very good skills but was never able to make that quick decision at the end. He was so skillful, he never had to (before), but coming into big fights, you need someone to push you to the extra level.

“The last couple of fights, we still haven’t reached that level. We have done it in the gym but not where we needed to – in the ring. But these next two fights, I am going to have to come in there to help him and I’ll do everything I have to, to push him harder. I’ve seen him do it in training. Now we have to get him to do it in the ring.”

Donaire wobbled Sidorenko only 75 seconds into the fight with a powerful right and the stinging left hook that followed. Continuous combinations kept the European staggering and struggling to defend the entire round.

In the final seconds of round one, Donaire landed a stunning left and a sledgehammer-like overhand right that knocked Sidorenko onto his back. Sidorenko rose to his feet and was rescued by the bell two seconds later.

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