Fernando Montiel and Nonito Donaire were in Las Vegas together last year at this time in what already seemed to be a buildup for the bout that is indeed taking place Saturday at Mandalay Bay in Vegas on HBO.
Both of Saturday?s principals slaughtered unworthy opponents last Feb. 13, with Donaire knocking out undersized late replacement Manuel Vargas in the third round and Montiel destroying previously unbeaten Ciso Morales (trained by Nonito Donaire Sr.) in 126 seconds.
There are insights to be gained by re-examining that week from our 2011 vantage, notably that Montiel seems less vulnerable now than he did then.
As faithful readers will recall, my repeated encounters with Montiel that week reinforced my impression that he has an aristocratic quality that bespeaks Mexico City or Guadalajara more than his actual home state, Sinaloa, on the rough-and-tumble Pacific Coast. Montiel has a deep voice and an animated, commanding presence and has physical elegance to match verbal eloquence.
Nonetheless there was reason for doubt about him last year. Faithful readers may recall that I bet $100 against Montiel when the odds blew up briefly to about 10-1, even though I didn?t want Montiel to lose and didn?t think he would.
I had asked Montiel whether his September 2009 bout with Alejandro Valdez had taken an emotional toll. An old wound opened early in that bout, and Montiel got battered for three rounds before the fight ended in a technical draw.
Montiel assured me he was not traumatized. He just hadn?t rehearsed his options well, a one-time lapse. ?You have to be prepared for everything,? Montiel said.
He then launched his current four-fight winning streak that includes a resounding victory in Japan over then-WBC bantamweight champion Hozumi Hasegawa.
Montiel?s victories are not surprising, but his ability to reach the bantamweight limit four times has been in light of his difficulties 53 weeks ago. Rumors about his weight were rampant all week, and he didn?t reach 118 on the first try at the weigh-in. But he has made 118 three more times since then despite his thick-boned physique.
Yes, he hurt his leg last September in a motorcycle accident, but that apparently has healed and shouldn?t be a factor Saturday.
Demonstrating a quality he?s likely to need against Donaire, Montiel clearly has proven resilient.
