MACAU ? From the opening bell, Nonito Donaire Jr. looked intent to silence every detractor who had said he was not the in-ring executioner he was in the lower weights. He promised to be more versatile against IBF featherweight titleholder Simpiwe Vetyeka when they met on Saturday, May 31 at the Venetian Resort in Macau, and he was, landing jabs and overhand rights while not relying as much on his trademark left hooks.
And then all hell broke out.
A heartbeat after the bell for the first round rang, Donaire sank to the floor with blood streaming from his left eye. Donaire complained to referee Luis Pabon who seemed as overwhelmed by the situation as any professional could?ve been.
If he stopped the fight there, the main event at the Venetian Macau would?ve ended in an accidental foul technical draw, a most unsavory ending in an emerging boxing market still trying to establish itself.
Pabon did what he felt to be the right thing ? he let the fight continue until one second into the fifth round, enacting the technical decision rule that allowed a fight to be decided prematurely.
That was just enough time for Donaire to separate himself on the scorecards from Vetyeka, who was making the first defense of the title he won with a sixth round technical knockout of Chris John in December.
Donaire weathered several damaging headbutts in round two before dropping wobbling Vetyeka with an overhand right in the third stanza. Donaire then put his biggest imprint on the fight in round four, dropping the South African Vetyeka with a left hook halfway into the round.
Vetyeka, 33, remained wily and survived but was hurt with another big left hook near the end of the fourth round. With blood streaming down his face, the end was nigh for Donaire and the referee knew it.
