NEW YORK CITY ? The boxing was boring but the singing was great.
A blogger for ESPN praised the two young Filipino singers boxing champ Nonito ?The Filipino Flash? Donaire Jr. picked from dozens of YouTube contestants.
Tiffany Viray sang Lupang Hinirang, while Lianah Sta. Ana belted her own take on the Star Spangled Banner.
ESPN blogger Michael Woods said that the young ladies, residents of Freehold, New Jersey sang like pros, which was probably the most exciting thing to happen during the lopsided match.
Donaire successfully defended his WBO and WBC bantamweight championship belts at the Madison Square Garden in New York Saturday night.
After 12 lackluster rounds, Donaire?s plan to knock his opponent out did not happen.
Argentinian boxer Omar Narvaez covered his face with his gloves for the most part during the match, nevertheless, suffering his first ever defeat.
?There?s nothing really you can do when the guy in the other corner doesn?t want to fight,? said Donaire?s wife Rachel, to appease disappointed boxing fans. Thousands of fans who nearly filled Madison Square Garden?s WaMu Theater made their disappointment known, chanting at Narvaez: ?This is B.S!?
Sports writer Ryan Songalia said that this is exactly the reason why boxing is losing its popularity over action-packed UFC fights.
Songalia, the only Filipino American member of the prestigious Boxing Writers of America said: ?Back in the 1930s and 40s when boxing in New York City was the biggest thing going in sports in the world, Narvaez would not have gotten paid.?
Now that Nonito Donaire is moving up to higher weight divisions, his promoter Top Rank said it will make sure that this will never again happen in any of their future fights.
?George Arce of Mexico who?s fought in a lot of Manny Pacquiao undercards is one of the most exciting fighters in boxing. There?s been talk of Toshiaki Nishioka of Japan,? speculated Songalia, on Donaire?s next possible opponents.
After the fight, Donaire taunted Narvaez, singing ?Don?t Cry for me Argentina,? the hit song from the Broadway musical Evita.
?It was unfortunate because I have great respect for him, but Narvaez didn?t show up tonight,? said Donaire.
