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MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – The Flash is back.
Nonito Donaire Jr rebounded from his knockout loss to Nicholas Walters with an easy two-round destruction of Brazilian journeyman William Prado at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Philippines.
There were no knockdowns but Donaire (34-3, 21 knockouts) wobbled Prado (22-4-1, 15 KOs) twice in the second round, pushing Prado to the ropes where he landed several unanswered left hook haymakers on his defenseless foe before referee Bruce McTavish stopped the fight.
Nonito Donaire Jr (@FilipinoFlash) pounds William Prado in round two to force the stoppage at 2:16 #rstream #boxing pic.twitter.com/zZYAxwlNBA
— Ryan Songalia (@ryansongalia) March 28, 2015“We knew we had a lot of power and we knew this guy was a tough guy,” said Donaire. “My dad was saying ‘Be careful’ and what punches he’ll throw. By being first, we were able to take away his weaponry, but we didn’t expect him to be down as fast as he was.”
Donaire, who has won championships in four divisions, was fighting in his country of birth for the first time since 2009 and for the first time in the junior featherweight division since his 2013 loss to Guillermo Rigondeaux.
Prado was fighting for the first time in a year and was one fight removed from a knockout loss to Scott Quigg. Prado tells Rappler that he had intended to give a good fight but that his eye was cut from the first left hook that connected on his face.
Donaire’s win will likely earn him a top one or two ranking at 122 pounds with the World Boxing Council, where unbeaten champion Leo Santa Cruz (29-0-1, 17 KOs) reigns.
“That’s something that we’re gonna go after,” Donaire said of facing Santa Cruz. “He’s a great fighter but with proper preparation I do believe that’s something we can overcome.”
Donaire previously campaigned at 122 pounds in 2012, winning four title fights that year to earn the Boxing Writers Association of America Fighter of the Year award.
Nietes scores fourth straight knockout
Donnie Nietes retained his RING magazine/WBO junior flyweight championship with a ninthround technical knockout of tough Mexican Gilberto Parra.
Nietes (35-1-4, 21 KOs) of Bacolod City, Philippines dropped Parra (19-3, 17 KOs) in the eighth round on a straight right hand and opened up a severe cut on Parra’s left eye in the ninth round, convincing referee Jack Reiss to stop the fight before the tenth round began.
Michael Aldeguer, who promotes Nietes under the ALA Boxing banner, tells Rappler that Nietes will make his mandatory defense against no. 1 contender Francisco Rodriguez Jr (17-2-1, 11 KOs) in Cebu on July 4.
Afterwards, they’re eyeing a move to 112 pounds to face WBA/WBO flyweight titleholder Juan Francisco Estrada.
“He wants the big names out there. We have to see how it goes for his weight division. He’s gonna go up four pounds. We’re gonna go through Rodriguez first, and then hopefully after that we’ll talk with Estrada.”
Earlier in the night, Albert Pagara (23-0, 16 KOs) knocked down Rodolfo Hernandez (26-6-1, 24 KOs) in round one and hammered him in round four before he opted not to leave the corner to begin the fifth.
The 21-year-old from Maasin City, Philippines will begin training in the United States in the coming month before returning to the ring on June 12 in Dubai against an opponent to be named, says Aldeguer.
– Rappler.com
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