CEBU CITY, Philippines ? WBO superbantamweight champion Nonito Donaire Jr.?s homecoming capped a long, exciting night of boxing at a warm, packed Cebu City Sports Complex. Seven of the nine bouts on the partnership between cards ended with knockouts, capped with a sensational third-round stoppage of Hungarian challenger Zsolt Bedak.
Bedak had fought four times in 2013 and four times in 2014. He was inactive from May 2010 to March 2013, ?after the loss to Wilfredo Vasquez Jr. in Puerto Rico in his only world title fight. The Hungarian?s last fight was against Nick Otieno, which was a decent victory, if not for the fact that Otieno has lost to three quality Filipino fighters in Genesis Servania (2012), Rexon Flores (on whom Otieno fell by TKO in 2008) and Z Gorres. The 5?4? challenger calls himself ?Mr. Left Hook?. But against Donaire, the irony of that moniker would be greatly pronounced.
The champion Donaire had fought in four different countries in his last four fights: Puerto Rico, Macao, the Philippines and the US. His last loss was via a chastening TKO at the hands of Nicholas Walters at the StubHub Center in California in October of 2014. From then on, the Filipino Flash made the strategic move to stay in the 122-pound class, where he is most comfortable. The move to have the fight in the Philippines (initially in Metro Manila then Cebu) was accompanied by an impressive rededication to his craft. And the audience in his native southern Philippines was immediate and overwhelming.
Early on, you could tell the difference. Donaire had a grim determination that was rarely seen after his banner year of 2012. In fact, after the fight, he admitted avoiding eye contact with the fans, lest their expectant smiles add to the pressure he was feeling. Nonito was at the venue every night in Cebu. Getting a feel for the heat and humidity which would be his ally against Bedak, who had only been outside Europe once in his pro career. The champion needed to make a loud statement, and he was hell-bent on making it in front of his countrymen.
At the outset, the difference in power was obvious. The diminutive Bedak was being walloped around by his host, with a devastating left hook that bounced him from pillar to post. In the second round, the crowd jumped to its feet, as Donaire sent Bedak to the canvas twice with that overpowering left. Midway through the third round, you could sense that the end was near. Bedak fell in a neutral corner. Referee Russell Mora, flown in from Las Vegas expressly for the occasion, had to ask Bedak twice if he was okay. After the dazed challenger responded, Mora followed up, asking him ?What do you see? What do you see?? When the Hungarian was unresponsive, Mora waved the fight off.
An emotional Donaire grabbed the microphone and thanked the crowd in Cebuano. He thanked his countrymen for loving boxing and supporting him, saying he only wanted to do them proud. Donaire Sr. said it was Bedak?s own fault for engaging his son in a brawl, thinking he could spring a surprise. The Hungarian Olympian?s 10-fight winning streak thus came to an abrupt end earlier than expected, and Donaire kept his promise to his father that he would go for a knockout in the first half of the fight. Sportshub ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1
Another big development was the breakthrough victory of Mark ?Magnifico? Magsayo. The scary test for the undefeated 20-year-old came at the hands of the versatile Chris Avalos. Avalos had previously fought for the IBF superbantamweight, but lost to champion Carl Frampton, a potential next target for Donaire. Abalos floored Magsayo in third round, but the youngster got up and recovered. Tightening up his defense, Magsayo got his revenge, almost ending the fight at the end of the fifth round with a vicious barrage of left hooks. The assault continued into the next round, and Avalos could take no more.
Honorable mention goes to 19-year-old Jeo ?Santino? Santisima, who marched on to his eighth consecutive KO win and 10th victory in 12 fights. Santisima made short work of Thai opponent Tabtong Tor Buamas, dismissing the visitor before he had barely broken into a sweat. The sweet win pumped up the crowd of more than 15,000 who had endured the heat and gotten rewarded with hours of breathtaking boxing. Filipino boxing makes the next big leap out into the rest of the world.
