Casual talk from Hollywood, California – Yes, start rethinking your gambling portfolio, that if you are a gambler, for a better economic optimism this Winter Season. Of course, Las Vegas should have a
better prospect
for 2011 with the advent of Mosley-Pacquiao fight coming by way of the economic utility theory of Top Rank Godfather Bob Arum. But, let us forget about that fight for a while. We are ahead of the schedule, anyhow. Sure, the economy of Las Vegas will start to pick up soon. Hotel reservations and betting counters will go sky-high between now and end of summer.
Consider this: we have the real competitive 2011 face-off: A+ fighter vs. A+ fighter. It’s Nonito Donaire, Jr. versus Fernando Montiel.
While I keep my stance being so critical about Donaire, Jr., I still think his valiant case and superlative skills would be more pronounced as he faces the toughest and the most intelligent opponent he would have of his entire boxing career, as of this writing. The date, February 19, will become a remarkable day for Donaire, Jr. as he climbs up the ring against Montiel, currently the WBO and WBCBantamweight champion and the former WBOFlyweight and Super Flyweight champion, at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
This match has the potential of turning-up Donaire, Jr. as the slight favorite over the reigning champion of this said contested bamtamweight division. No oddsmakers have posted yet their likely favored fighter to win on February 19.
Despite the formidable victory of Montiel early last Spring in Tokyo, Japan over Hozumi Hasegawa who held the WBC bantamweight title since 2005, the Mexican “thinking fighter” may not be at better
match
against the Filipino Flash. Though they both are critical thinkers and known for their similar fighting styles that employ the use of agility and quick reflexes, Donaire, Jr.’s powerful left and right hooks and his known ability to fight either southpaw or orthodox can pose a big problem for Montiel. Donaire, Jr.’s circling-and -bleaching style by using long jabs plus his better footwork and longer reach than Montiel’s would be the differential factors that the oddsmakers must consider. In the theorists’ delicate phrase, the standard deviation and frequency probablity of distribution of factors will play significantly in fairly coming up the best approximation with their winning odds, vice versa.
Montiel has 70.83% knockouts out of forty-eight professional fights since 1996 . Donaire, Jr. has 65.28% knockouts out of twenty-six professional fights since 2001.
Both of orthodox stance and switch-hitters, Montiel will turn thirty-two on March 1 and Donaire, Jr. twenty-eight last November 16.
On the other hand, Montiel should be successful in wearing off Donaire, Jr. from body attacks, that if he can get inside without incurring inflicting hooks from the Filipino Flash. But, Donaire will likely be banking on a one-punch knockout plus higher number of landed jabs considering his superior boxing skills. And he’ll be utilizing all angles and the less explored areas of the 20 x 20 canvas all through his ring generalship, to which Montiel might seek refuge before the twelfth.
Obviously, Montiel would be the most experienced one. He will have to go inside quickly, that if Donaire, Jr.’s defenses become vulnerable. The Filipino Flash has a tendency to lower his guards whenever he feels that he is in control of the fight. And that’s where Montiel’s proven patience and experience come in, just as what he did to Hasegawa whom he stopped in round four. But, Donaire, Jr. will come in mounting with strong defenses and even freshness and faster hands and, most of all, rather more powerful, crispier punches and devastating longer but quicker hooks than Montiel’s.
Rated by The Ring Magazine as the number seven pound-for-pound boxer in the world, Montiel has never been knocked out of his forty-eight professional fights since 1996. He has only two losses via a majority decision to Mark Johnson in 2003 and a split decision to Johnny Gonzales in 2006. His two draws were against Alejandro Valdez in 2009 and Paulino Villalobos in 1998.
Currently rated by The Ring as the number five pound-for-pound boxer in the world, Donaire, Jr.
holds the WBC Continental Americas Bantamweight Title. He is the former WBA
Super FlyweightInterim World Champion, IBFWorld Flyweight Champion and IBOWorld Flyweight Champion. He won twenty-five fights inclusive of seventeen knockouts out of twenty-six. His lone loss via a unanimous decision was his second professional fight against Rosendo Sanchez in 2001.
