Though Nonito “Filipino Flash, Donaire, Jr’s technical knockout victory over former World Boxing Council – World Boxing Organization Bantamweight champion Fernando “Cochulito” Montiel is boisterous, it entails a stealthy maneuver to the world’s pound-for-pound ranking. Ring Magazine surely has shown a light of its own. But, its current list for pound-for-pound ranking has spawned questions of relative importance to Filipino Flash rising popularity.
Filipino Flash, though highly skillful at this stage of his boxing career, should not be ranked above Sergio Martinez. One thing, Martinez won a more impressive brutal knockout over former middleweight king Paul Williams than what Filipino Flash delivered over Montiel which ended on a technical knockout. Both Filipino Flash and Martinez scored against the two, respectively, in the second round. But, Filipino Flash finished Montiel at 2:25 versus Martinez’s over Williams at 1:10.
And what’s the crucial difference: Martinez put to sleep a giant who is 3 inches taller than him. Filipino Flash technically knocked Montiel out who is 2 inches shorter than him.
Unlike Filipino Flash, Martinez’s toughness has shown against taller and bigger and high ranking fighters in the division, especially in his last three fights against Paul Williams – 6’1″, Kelly Pavlik – 6’2 1/2″ and Kermit Cintron – 5’11”. His upcoming opponent is Serhiy Dzinziruk, 6’0″, the number one fighter in Hamburg, Germany who is undefeated of his 37 professional fights. They are contesting for the vacant WBC Diamond middleweight title.
Filipino Flash’s toughness has not been tested even having won 26 fights out of his 27 professional fights. He fought fighters who were shorter and smaller than him, except Rosalindo Sanchez, 5’7 1/2″, and has broader frame, whom he lost a unanimous decision at the Pacific Sports Center in Vallejo, California in 2011. It was his second professional fight.
Between his 2007’s victory over Vic Darchinyan via a technical knockout in round 5 and his recent one over Montiel in round 2, Filipino Flash has had fought far less competitive fighters. They were not ranked in the top three of their respective divisions. That’s why he was taunted as a “cherry-picker”, which Martinez has never been regarded as such.
Sure, the margin between Martinez and Filipino must be wide. And Filipino Flash, nevertheless, still has a lot to prove to get close enough to Martinez, if not to pass over the first top three fighters. And, here’s the official list of ranking for the pound-for-pound fighters in the world:
1. Manny Pacquiao 2. Floyd Mayweather, Jr. 3.Sergio Martinez 4. Nonito Donaire, Jr.
Stay tuned for more!
Meet me at Facebook: Granville Tolo-Hayag Vergara-Ampong – Featured Sportswriter for Yahoo Contributor Network
