NONITO Donaire survived a game Cesar Juarez via unanimous decision to regain the World Boxing Organization (WBO) super-bantamweight title on Saturday (Manila time) in San Juan Puerto Rico.
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ESPN.com also scored the fight 116-110 for Donaire, the 2012 consensus fighter of the year, who won his third fight in a row this year since returning to the 122-pound weight class. He chose to drop down in weight following a sixth-round knockout loss to Nicholas Walters that cost him his featherweight world title in October 2014.
The highlight of his sterling performance came in the fourth round when he sent his Mexican foe to the canvass with a hook.
After the war, Donaire was favored by the three judges at ringside with scores of 116-110 (twice) and 117-109 over Juarez.
The 24-year-old Juarez didn’t have enough time to inflict enough damage to overcome the big points lead Donaire built while winning the first seven rounds in lopsided fashion.
As the belt remains vacant and number one Nonito Donaire faces number two ranked Cesar Juarez this Friday night, the WBO’s Jose Izquierdo was asked to clarify if the bout would be sanctioned for the vacant belt in light of recent events. Donaire isn’t young, and he could find himself losing his WBO title quick if he fights someone good like Carl Frampton, Scott Quigg or Guillermo Rigondeaux. However, we have not yet received any request for Donaire-Juarez. He had Donaire on the ropes in the ninth round and was landing punches. When the final bell sounded, the two battered warriors, both bleeding and exhausted, fell into the referee’s arms, having throw punches all the way until the end.
Donaire (36-3, 23 KO) was in total control early, outclassing Juarez (17-4, 13 KO) and looking like the better, sharper fighter, simply a superior technician.
He landed a shot in the 10th round that caught Juarez on the nose, which erupted with blood.
Verdejo improved to 19-0 by scoring with a straight right hand to the chin. He took my body shots, but I was very fluid.
Tonight we get two title fights on TruTV. I think this fight gave me the threshold of where I can go.
Dos Santos had been out of the ring for nearly year and a half before tonight.
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Dos Santos beat the count but he was wobbling all over the place and in no condition to continue, causing referee Roberto Ramirez Jr.to wave off the bout at 2 minutes, 21 seconds. It was third time in his last four fights that Dos Santos lost.
