SAN DIEGO, November 8, 2013 ? Six years ago, Nonito Donaire burst onto the boxing scene with a one punch, fifth round knockout of dominant flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan.
Since then, Donaire proved it wasn?t a fluke, racking up a 31-1-0 record with 20 KOs. He was named 2012 Fighter of the Year for his four victories including a super bantamweight belt with speed, skills and courage in two decisions and two TKOs.
At the start of 2013, Donaire appeared ready to write a few new chapters of his success story. It wasn?t to be. Donaire lost a decision to two time Cuban Olympic gold medalist Guillermo Rigondeaux. Donaire barely made the weight limit and failed to show much power in the disappointing loss.
Donaire has gone back to the drawing board. After seven months off during which he became a first time father, had shoulder surgery and moved up in weight class, Donaire will face Darchinyan in a rematch Saturday night at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas. The fight will be televised on HBO as part of a three fight broadcast starting at 9:30 p.m. ET. Communities will host a Live Chat for the televised fights here starting at 9:30 p.m. ET.
It?s hard not to root for Donaire, 30. He is well liked among the boxing community for his accomplishments inside the ring and his cheerful, positive demeanor and clean living outside the ring. Both Donaire and Darchinyan are making their featherweight division debuts. This is not the main event and not a title fight, but it is the bout with the most on the line for both boxers. The winner will move toward a title fight; the loser will face an uncertain future.
Donaire wants to prove his first knockout of Darchinyan wasn?t a fluke, and that his recent loss was an aberration. He promises to look for a knockout in this fight. Darchinyan, 37, wants payback and says he?ll be coming for Donaire. This 10-round bout isn?t likely to go the distance.
Rocky Martinez and Mikey Garcia face off at their weigh-in Friday in Texas. Photo: Chris Farina, Top Rank.
The title fight should end long before 12 rounds as well. Undefeated Mikey Garcia (32-0-0, 27 KOs) hopes to make a big debut moving up to the 130 pound super featherweight class against Roman ?Rocky? Martinez (27-1-2, 16 KOs). In his last bout, Garcia failed to make weight, losing his title but handily winning his bout against Juan Manuel Lopez with a fourth round knockout. Garcia and Martinez are aggressive fighters, and a partisan Mexican-American crowd will be rooting for Garcia against the Puerto Rican Martinez. Garcia should easily overpower Martinez, but there is always room for a surprise.
Fireworks started early in the televised undercard fight between junior middleweights Demetrius Andrade (19-0-0, 13 KOs) and Vanes Martirosyan (33-0-1, 21 KOs). The pair got into a scuffle during their faceoff Friday and had to be pulled apart. These boxers are both unbeaten and both former members of the U.S Olympic boxing team, Andrade in 2008 and Martirosyan in 2004. Neither of these fighters are one-punch winners, but they should give fans plenty of action in the ring to enjoy.
