Last night at the Palenque de la Feria in Chiapas, Mexico, WBC and WBO Bantamweight champion Fernando Montiel continued his excellent 2010 campaign with a crushing 3rd round stoppage over Panamania’s Rafael Concepcion. Montiel was coming off of a standout 4th round knockout over Hozumi Hasegawa, which followed his first round blowout over Ciso Morales at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas as part of the Pinoy Power 3/Latin Fury 13 event in February.
Montiel was originally scheduled to face off with interim champion Eric Morel but the Puerto Rican withdrew from the contest, citing a leg injury, and Concepcion?s services were in order. After starting slow Montiel would drop Concepcion early in the second with a short left hook. The same blow dropped the 28-year old later in the round and the rout was on. An overhand right dropped Concepcion in the 3rd and referee Robert Byrd waived the bout off.
With the win Montiel sees his record go to 43-2-2 with 33 knockouts while Concepcion drops to 14-5-1 with 8 kills. An interesting subplot to the bout was that a possible bout with WBA interim super flyweight titlist Nonito Donaire seems to be in the works for Donaire this coming November. Donaire is coming off of a sensation 8th round stoppage over Hernan ?Tyson? Marquez in San Juan, Puerto Rico last weekend and his promoter Bob Arum had promised him a crack at the Los Mochis native.
The fight is absolutely ideal for both men. Donaire has been craving for a high-profile opponent ever since his coming out party against Vic Darchinyan in July of 2007, a contest in which he ended the Armenian?s night with a beautiful left hook. Montiel has had a great 2010 thus far and has erased the bad taste that came after his knockout loss-turned-technical-draw last September against Alejandro Valdez but needs someone like to Donaire to fully establish himself as a pound for pound level fighter.
Stylistically the contest looks to be a gem as well, as the two men are blessed with great cunning and tremendous talent. Montiel is more of a textbook fighter, one who strikes like a viper when the moment is right, while Donaire is much more unorthodox in his attack yet just as dangerous.
Of all the fights to be made in boxing this one certainly should be at the top of the list. The bout would pit two champions against one another, one man looking to fully reclaim his glory of years past while the other is still in search of another crowning moment in his blossoming career. Let?s hope it happens.
