Jessie Magdaleno grabs NABO super bantamweight title in easy win over Jonathan Arellano

Prospect Jessie Magdaleno stamped his class over Jonathan Arellano during the ESPN Friday Night Fight Special Edition on Thursday night, sweeping the three judges' scorecards 80-70, 80-70, 80-69, for a unanimous decision win to keep his unblemmished record intact (13-0, 9 KO) and claim the NABO super bantamweight belt at The Mirage Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

Jessie Magdaleno brought the fight to Jonathan Arellano (13-2-1, 3 KO) right from the opening bell as he immediately unloaded on his opponent. But Arellano withstood the early barrage to escape the round unscathed.

The second round proved to be Jessie Magdaleno's best round of the fight as he put down Jonathan Arellano on the canvas with a well-timed right hook on top of the head with just 1:24 left in the round. Still, Jonathan Arellano regained his bearing on time and survived the round.

Jessie Magdaleno continued his double-fisted attack in the third canto: Pummeling Jonathan Arellano at every chance he got -- driving him into a corner, or pinning him on the ropes with a variety of shots. But Jonathan Arellano was able to counter with a left hook to the face that backtracked Jessie Magdaleno.

In the 4th round, Jessie Magdaleno boxed beautifully, timing and countering with hooks everytime Jonathan Arellano tried to mount an attack. But in this round, Jonathan Arellano would not be denied as he landed three consecutive hard left hands on Magdaleno just before the round ended.

With 1:08 left in the 6th round, Jessie Magdaleno pummeled and downed Jonathan Arellano to the canvas. Magdaleno tried to finish him off but was able to grab for dear life to survive the round.

Both fighters bartered shots throughout the 7th with Jessie Magdaleno sneaking several uppercuts, while Jonathan Arellano landed some left hooks of his own. But Jessie Magdaleno was way ahead in all the scorecards, and barring a freak knockout, is already assured of victory.

The last round was anti-climactic as Jessie Magdaleno elected to fight in spurts as he easily cruised to a unanimous decision victory over the overmatched Jonathan Arellano.

Kermit Cintron's last chance for redemption is to derail the Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez' express train

WBC light middleweight champion Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez might be in for a big surprise if the real Kermit Cintron shows up tonight. The Mexican's suspect chin will surely be tested if Kermit Cintron connects with his power shots. Yes, there's a big chance and probability that the well-oiled Canelo express train might get derailed tonight if Cintron will rise to the occasion and be true to his potential. But that is easier said than done because Canelo also packs a wallop in his hands and many observers feel that the 'fragile' Cintron is there for the taking.

Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez is a product of today's intelligent match-making rather than the old school, rumble-and-tumble world of prizefighting. His Golden Boy handlers have maneuvered to give him fighters that will showcase his skills and magnify his power but will pose no danger to him. These machinations eventually resulted of him being handed the WBC light middleweight belt on a silver platter. But make no mistake about it, despite the savvy match-makings and maneuverings, Canelo has a big fighting heart and has the ability to shoot the lights out of anyone if they make the mistake of standing in front of him in a fight.

But Canelo's heart, his greatest asset, might also be the ticket to his downfall. In his previous fights, he has shown his vulnerability when he gets tagged on the chin, even by fighters not known to possess power in their fists. But this seeming 'defect' is easily compensated by his will to pressure his opponents to submission and the power to knock fighters out with a single punch. 

Kermit Cintron was once a promising fighter, but his career took a nosedive after suffering a beating by the hands of Antonio Margarito twice, and considering Margarito's history, a lot of boxing observers alleged that 'plaster of Paris' may have played a factor in Cintron's defeats. Thus, suffice it to say, that after Margarito destroyed Cintron in both of their fights, the Puerto Rican slugger has never been the same again.

Many believed that Cintron's present problem is not about his skill set as a boxer, but more about what's inside his head. If he can only overcome his doubts, shake the cobwebs off his head, and just fight the way he used to fight, then we can expect him to give Alvarez his first defeat tonight, if not a very good competitive fight. 

Kermit Cintron is one lucky boxer since despite his listless performances in the ring in his previous fights, his handlers were still able to convince the networks to show his wares on fight TV.  But this could also be probably attributed to the belief of some people that he is on the decline -- a shadow of his former self -- and a good stepping-stone for any aspiring boxers eager to put his name on their resume.

The people behind Canelo's career might have thought the same way and pegged Cintron as nothing but a trial-horse, cannon fodder, and a veteran with a good name to embellish the young Mexican's resume.

But this is a fight for all the marbles for Kermit Cintron -- a chance for redemption -- and if the Puerto Rican's head is in the right place for tonight's fight, Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez is in for a rude awakening. Otherwise, the Canelo express train will just run over Cintron and crush his dreams into oblivion.

Big in Japan: Gonzalez dethrones Hasegawa; Nishioka, Aoh retain crowns

In the big boxing event held at the World Memorial Hall in Kobe, the defending Japanese boxing champions failed to sweep their foreign oppositions as the popular WBC featherweight champion Hozumi Hasegawa (29-4, 13 KOs) fell to Jhonny Gonzalez (48-7, 41 KOs) of Mexico.

Hozumi Hasegawa was the lone casualty among the Japanese champions when the referee stopped the fight in the 4th round of the scheduled 12- round championship fight. 


After being knocked down by a powerful right to the chin by Gonzalez, Hasegawa was able to beat the count but was unsteady on his feet prompting the referee to waive the fight off with only a token protest from the champion.

The two protagonists started out fast and strong but Gonzalez was obviously the better and faster fighter as he outhustled and outlanded the game and eager Hasegawa in the first two rounds. 

In the third round, Hozumi Hasegawa turned the fight around as he got the better of Jhonny Gonzalez with accurate body punches in their exchanges but with 2 minutes left in the 4th, the Mexican landed a powerful counter right hand to the chin of Hasegawa that sent the Japanese champion on the seat of his pants en route to the stoppage.

WBC junior lightweight champion Takahiro Aoh (21-2-1, 10 KOs) retains his belt in impressive fashion by knocking out the pesky Humberto Gutierrez (28-3-1, 20 KOs) with a single punch to the body after both fighters traded hard and powerful shots for the first three rounds. The time was 1:43 in the 4th. 

WBC super bantamweight Toshiaki Nishioka (38-4-3, 24 KOs) was victorious in his sixth defense of the crown he won in 2009 but had to sweat it out a little before disposing off Mauricio Munoz  (21-3, 9 KOs) in the 9th round with a powerful straight left to the face that sent the Argentine fighter reeling to the corner and on the seat of his pants for the count. 

Edrin Dapudong: Another Filipino prospect bites the dust

Highly- touted Filipino prospect Edrin “The Sting” Dapudong arrived in Cancun, Mexico with high hopes of retaining his WBC silver flyweight title against Wilbert “Hurricane” Uicab, but it was not meant to be. The Hurricane proved too much and way too elusive to be stung by the Filipino's vaunted fists.

All hopes that Dapudong will have a second consecutive victory in hostile territory clearly evaporated in the first minute of the first round as Uicab, with whirlwind fists, quickly jumped on the surprised Dapudong as he peppered the Filipino with shots coming from all angles.

It was an omen of things to come as The Hurricane, buoyed by the partisan crowd, quickly established his rhythm and wrecked havoc against the flat and leaden- feet Filipino champion for most of the first half of the fight.

Edrin Dapudong failed to exploit his height and reach advantage against his shorter opponent as Uicab enticed him to fight in close quarters and clearly exploited the chances given in his favor as he repeatedly tagged the champion with whirlwind combinations to the head and body.

Although Dapudong somewhat recovered and won the middle rounds, he failed to sustain his momentum into the championship rounds as he obviously ran out of gas, outgunned and faded badly. There was no sense of urgency from him and his corner. Dapudong just contented himself with clinching and exchanging a few insignificant wild punches with Uicab even though it was obvious that he was behind in the score cards.

The Dapudong that showed up in the fight was not the same fighter that destroyed, in one round, the feared Jesus “The Destroyer” Jimenez to take the then vacant WBC silver flyweight belt just months earlier.

Edrin Dapudong was obviously not in the best of shape; his legs deserted him early, the sting in his punches were nowhere to be found and he was already breathing through his mouth in the early rounds. He appeared tentative and lost against the wily Wilbert Uicab which left us to wonder whether his team had a game plan or even scouted his opponent at all.

Thus, another brave Filipino fighter failed in his quest for glory and lost his crown on the world stage. Like the rest before him who were hyped but came unprepared to handle the pressure of big time fights, Edrin Dapudong went out there to fulfill a dream but ended up in a nightmare.

The list is quite long and growing; Bernabe Concepcion, Boom- Boom Bautista, AJ Banal, Fernando Lumacad, Ciso Morales, Rodel Mayol, and the Sonsonas, Marvin and Eden.

And now we wonder, when will these fighters and their handlers ever learn that heart and talent alone will not win the fight, rather hard work and dedication to improve one’s craft will always be a huge factor that will make a difference in the heat of the battle. Also, a good game plan and thorough preparations will always be helpful to effectively handle and overcome a difficult situation. It will also go a long way if one has the mental toughness to handle any adversaries inside the ring.


These tenets are well-proven and practiced by the highly successful fighters throughout the history of boxing.

Just ask Manny Pacquiao.

*first published in 8CNews

Pinoy Boxing: Mercito Gesta KO's Genaro Trazancos in Arizona

Mercito "No Mercy" Gesta (19-0-1, 9 KOs), one of boxing's bright prospects from the Philippines, knocked out Mexico's veteran fighter Genaro Trazancos (22-12-1, 13 KOs) in the 7th round of their 8- round bout at Casino Del Sol in Tuscon, Arizona to remain undefeated.

The Filipino junior welterweight was not tested enough and toyed with Genaro Trazancos for most of the fight but stepped up his attack starting the 6th round as he peppered his opponent with various combinations to the head and body. The most telling were his left straights and upper cuts that would make Trazancos stop momentarily in his tracks everytime the Filipino's power punches found its mark.

Despite Trazancos' experience, Gesta was just superior in all departments and there was no doubt in the spectators' minds that the Filipino can end the fight anytime if he wants it and are just waiting for the inevitable outcome to happen.

Mercito Gesta came out of the corner smoking in the 7th determined to end the fight and not put the decision into the hands of the judges. He showed no mercy and chased the reeling Trazancos all over and with just 53 seconds into the round, a powerful left straight to the kisser put the game Trazancos on his back for the count.

Mercito "No Mercy" Gesta improves to 19 wins with 9 KOs while Genaro Trazancos dropped his losing record to 12.

Pompyang: The Legend of the Manny Pacquiao double punch

When Manny Pacquiao did the patented "FPJ- pompyang" double- punch on Joshua Clottey in their fight dubbed The Event at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Texas last March 13th, many were actually surprised by the pound-for-pound king's actions. Many thought it was a spur of the moment decision made by Pacquiao because of Clottey's unwillingness to fight.

Now, it can be told. The "pompyang" double- punch was actually first put into action during his training camp en route to his fight with Joshua Clottey.

In a video by YouTube user, Chaplindj, Manny Pacquiao playfully unleashed the "pompyang" double- punch on his sparring partner, 17- year old prospect Jose Benavidez.

Mouthpiece: What now, Floyd?

The withdrawal of Andre Berto in his January 30th fight date with Shane Mosley further pushed Floyd Mayweather, Jr.’s back to the wall. Earlier in the year, Manny Pacquiao boxed and fenced him in and now Shane Mosley will provide the nail on the coffin for Money May to finally man up and step up to the plate lest he will be labeled as the ‘greatest coward of all time.’

This recent development coupled with his impasse with Team Pacquiao regarding the so-called Olympic- style drug testing put Floyd Mayweather, Jr in a very tenuous position. This recent development means Floyd Mayweather, Jr.’s days of shooting from the mouth are over and now he has to let his fist do the talking.

The onus is on Floyd to prove to the boxing world that he is for real, and that all his pronouncements of him being the best there is, are not just idle talk. Whereas if he was able to cherry-pick his opponents as well as fight fighters not his size in the past and get away with it, Floyd Mayweather, Jr literally and figuratively will now have to put his money where his mouth is. .

After the falling out of his mega fight with Manny Pacquiao, boxing fans will not be too keen of seeing him fight a green fighter like Saul Alvarez or a clown like Paulie Malignaggi or an old man in Nate Campbell or even a smaller Timothy Bradley when a real and ‘badder’ welterweight is just around the corner.

After the falling out of his mega fight with Manny Pacquiao, boxing fans will no longer tolerate him evading and ducking fighters that will challenge his claims of being ’the greatest fighter of all time.’

After the falling out of his mega fight with Manny Pacquiao, fans will not look at him too kindly while he continues to fleece them of their hard-earned PPV money.

After the falling out of his mega fight with Manny Pacquiao, his being a disciple of the roadrunner is over. Yes, he can still run but he cannot hide. Or better still, he cannot run and hide at the same time now. He is left with no other choice but to toe the line and fight Mosley, if you ask me.

After Manny Pacquiao, Mosley is the next best thing there is for Mayweather since he would never step up to fight Paul Williams anyway. You bet, he won’t and will never do a Pacquiao, that is, climb up in weight, fight and challenge bigger and meaner fighters than himself.

And despite his age, Shane Mosley is a legitimate P4P elite fighter. Despite his age, Mosley is still sugary sweet and will be a handful inside the ring for any opponent. Another thing, Mosley is a fighter who will bring the fight to his opponent which will make this one a really good fight. Most of all, Mosley called out Floyd and actually embarrassed him right after his fight with Juan Manuel Marquez.

But this makes us think if and when the fight actually happens, will Golden Boy Productions and Team Mayweather do an Olympic- style drug testing under the USADA aside from the customary testing being done by the Nevada State Athletic Commission since Mosley is an admitted PEDs user?

If Mayweather will not fight Pacquiao, I believe, this fight is the next best thing although I will not deal now with the hypocrisy of preferring to fight an admitted steroids and EPO user rather than fighting a fighter who has never tested for one nor has proven links to people and companies that deal with PEDs.

But this also makes me realize that if and when the fight actually happens, Mayweather can prove to all of his critics and detractors that he is really the fighter that he says he is. He can now silence them and even earn their respect because this will be his most important fight to date and a step up towards becoming a real man. This will be a very significant one if he is really keen on a ‘Battle Royale’ with the Pacman later in the year.

So, your move Floyd.


*First published in Now Boxing

In this corner: Barry Gusi decisions Manny Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao’s luck has finally come to an end and his amazing winning streak is over.

After scintillating victories against bigger opponents in Oscar de la Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto, Pacquiao now suffered his first loss since a close decision to Mexican legend Erik Morales in 2005 and his worst since little- known compatriot Rustico Torrecampo’s wicked left hook knocked him out earlier in his career.

The decisive punch was delivered by the blabbering and fuming Ambassador Barry Gusi who proclaimed the one- sided fight over with less than two minutes left due to a technicality in his speech at the Meralco Theater during the awarding ceremonies of this year’s Gusi Peace Prize.

Barry Gusi whose ambassador title was bestowed by the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Pacific Islands and the reigning, undisputed chairman of the Peace Prize named after his family wherein he claimed it to be as Asia's equivalent of the very prestigious Nobel Peace Prize declared his fight with boxing’s reigning P4P king as a no- contest in his speech in front of this year’s multi-national awardees many of whom flew into the country at their own expense for the grandiose ceremony.

Gusi was so angered by Pacquiao’s no- show in the awarding ceremony and utter show of disrespect to him even though the boxer sent his Canadian lawyer Michael Koncz to be his representative but the ambassador refused to hand the award to him and reiterated his position that the Filipino boxing icon will no longer be honored by his foundation for the rest of his life.


“They assured me several times that they would attend but they did not show up. No showing up, no award. No respect , no award. No award for the rest of his life because he did not respect the people of the country and the people of the world.”

Such fighting and ironic words coming from a man who name and distribute a Peace award named after his family, if you ask me.

My curiosity was obviously piqued when I read in the papers that a certain Ambassador Gusi was fuming over Manny Pacquiao’s deliberate snub of the affair that I instantly put my fingers to good use and use the power of the internet to find out about the man.

I run into some old articles about him and the Gusi Peace Prize that gave me nothing but just general views. Even the official website’s entries were vague and lacking in details. Heck, it seems that his people even forgot to put him and his works in Wikipedia’s database. Thus being said, I say not really impressive for a man and an award- giving body of this magnitude.

The credentials of this self- proclaimed ‘Internationalist’ are also quite suspect as well as the obscure manner of which he acquired his title as ambassador - at- large of those small groups of islands in the Pacific whose so- called leaders are notorious of giving the said title at the drop of a hat.

But I was impressed with the names of the past and present recipients of the said award that could even compete with the older and well- known Ramon Magsaysay Award. The Filipino past and present recipients alone make a veritable list of the Philippines’ Who’s Who.

Unfortunately at the same time, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for these so- called ‘Peace Laureates’ because in my mind they were just taken for a ride by this eccentric man.

Yes, we cannot deny the fact that they excelled in their respective fields but they were also gullible enough to accept this so- called award that claims to be Asia’s equivalent of the Nobel from this man without even checking his background because they succumbed to that feeling inherent in every one of us which is the need and hunger for recognition.

Although Barry Gusi does not have the credentials nor the pedigree to hand out such awards more so the authority to rank it in the same level as the Nobel Peace Prize but who can blame him when it is obviously an act of self- promotion and a private endeavor for an award that many people bought without question that includes the Office of the Philippine President.

And I salute him for having the audacity, courage and fortitude in putting up this kind of endeavor for not too many people can do this kind of things. Iba talaga ang Pinoy!

But when I found the video below while trolling YouTube the other day, I am now more convinced that Pacquiao’s recent one- sided loss against Barry Gusi should be recorded with an asterisk.

Now you wonder who the real loser and who has the last laugh in this case.

The Dream Match: Pacman meets Golden Boy

Ring Magazine’s reigning pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao in an interview with ABS- CBN’s Dyan Castillejo confirmed that the megabuck fight with the Golden Boy Oscar De la Hoya is on with both sides finally agreeing to the division of spoils, ok prize money that once hindered the negotiations between two of boxing world’s biggest draw.

The scheduled December 6th fight will be De la Hoya’s farewell fight and Pacquiao’s biggest fight. The fight is pegged at a catch weight of 147 lbs. This will be Pacman's heaviest weight and De la Hoya's lightest in years.

I have some misgivings about this fight because on paper, Manny Pacquiao is in a disadvantaged position and the consensus underdog here since except for youth, De la Hoya has the edge in everything- experience, weight, height and reach. But I guess money talks in this case and so the fight with the popular and smaller Pacquiao will indeed pursue.

Frankly, I just lost my respect for Oscar as a fighter for taking this fight because for all of Pacquiao’s vaunted power and hand speed, this fight is not the fight that should even be considered to be his farewell fight. If he is man enough and wants to cement his legacy, he should fight Antonio Margarito instead.

I just hope that Manny will emerge from this fight unscathed considering that Oscar De la Hoya can really punch the lights out of him. So, I am keeping my fingers crossed that this will be a competitive fight and not a lopsided one.

Although I will be rooting for Manny to win, my head tells me to put my money on the Golden Boy. But who knows, Pacman will once again rise to the occasion and prove all the skeptics wrong.

And despite my misgivings, on fight night, I will still bet my hard-earned money on a Pacquiao victory. What the heck, I always root for the underdogs.

Good luck Manny.

Lethal Combination: Manny Pacquiao vs. David Diaz

It's Official!

Manny Pacquiao’s quest for boxing glory and history continues as he climbs in weight at 135 lbs to challenge the reigning WBC Lightweight Champion David Diaz for the latter’s belt on June 28, 2008 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

Pacquiao, the Filipino sensation won a hard- fought controversial split- decision over Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico and will try to annex his 2nd title for the year and if he emerges victorious against the very- technical Diaz will be the first Asian to be crowned champion in 4 separate weight division.

This is a fight where Manny Pacquiao will be the overwhelming favorite but a Diaz upset is not far- fetched since this will be the Pacman’s first fight at 135 and Diaz is a natural 135 and many are questioning his ability to adjust that quickly as well as whether he can bring his vaunted punching power against heavier fighters. Also under the rules of the Nevada Athletic Commission for fighters weighing 135 lbs and above, he will need to wear 10 oz “pillow” boxing gloves rather than the usual 8 oz “puncher’s” glove that he prefers which might affect his power in the end.

But Manny Pacquiao who first fought and became champion as a Light Flyweight and added two more belts in his climb to become a three division champion have defied the odds before and I’m confident that he can overcome whatever physical disadvantages that he has against David Diaz if only he will put his mind into it.


Tickets are priced at $600, $500, $400, $300, $200 and $100 and will be on sale on Saturday, April 19 at the Mandalay Box Office (Tel. No. 702- 632- 7580) and in its website as well as Ticketmaster (Tel. No. 702- 474- 400). HBO will also televise the fight live on pay-per-view.

Be the judge as we take a look of David Diaz boxing prowess as he eked out a controversial decision against Erik Morales in what many fight experts and fans alike believed that El Terrible won the fight but lost it in the scorecards.




Click on the link for the Full Fight-
David Diaz vs Erik Morales

Done Deal: Manny Pacquiao dethrones Juan Manuel Marquez

Manny Pacquiao took Juan Manuel Marquez' belt via a split decision in a very close fight to become the new WBC Super Featherweight Champion of the world at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The three ringside judges scored the fight, 115-112, 114-113 for Pacquiao, and 115-112 for Marquez.

The fight was a classic one between two brave and determined warriors who battled from the first round until the end of the fight. It was a nip and tuck slugfest that gave the fans their money’s worth for the night.

The Champion won the first round but Pacquiao came back to win the second. In round three, the Filipino sensation decked Marquez who was stunned and looked wobbly but couldn’t finish him off as Marquez was saved by the bell. Manny Pacquiao took the 4th round with ease with vicious hard punches but again failed to finish the game champ.

Marquez' took the fifth and sixth rounds with his counter- punching prowess but the Pacman came back to take the seventh. Marquez’ best round was the eight when he rocked Pacquiao with power punches to the face. He failed to sustain his intensity though in the next round as Pacquiao peppered him with timely power hits. It was the same story with the 10th round as Pacquiao continued his assault with more telling blows to the face of his opponent.

However, the champion threw more punches and connected better than the challenger in the penultimate and last rounds to come back into contention that put more spice into the already intense and heated rivalry not only between the two seasoned pugilists but among their rabid supporters.

The split decision in favor of Manny Pacquiao drew loud protests from some quarters citing that Marquez was the better fighter statistics- wise as shown in the Compu-box scorecards but to me his edge in the punches thrown and landed over Manny Pacquiao was negated by the knockdown in the third round.

Also, to the uninitiated, I’d like to point out that the fight was scored on the basis of the fighter’s performance on a per round basis not on the total number of punches unleashed during the fight.

That’s why even if Marquez connected more punches in the fight especially in the 8th round when Pacquiao, bothered by the cut on his right eye preferred to just cruise rather than engage Marquez toe-to-toe, Manny still leads in the scorecards (he came back and won rounds 9 and 10 where he rocked Marquez several times with solid combinations to earn a three- points cushion) going into the last two rounds.

It should be duly noted that Marquez won the 11th and 12th rounds which make them both winning 6 rounds apiece of their unfinished business rematch in my card.

And by using the 10-9 Scoring System employed by the World Boxing Council and the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), Pacquiao won by a point in my book by virtue of his 10- 8 score when he dropped the defending champion to the canvass with a vicious left hook in the third round which proved to be the eventual difference in the fight.

Here's my score of the Fight...

Round 1: 10-9 Marquez
Round 2: 10-9 Pacquiao
Round 3: 10-8 Pacquiao
Round 4: 10-9 Pacquiao
Round 5: 10-9 Marquez
Round 6: 10-9 Marquez
Round 7: 10-9 Pacquiao
Round 8: 10-9 Marquez
Round 9: 10-9 Pacquiao
Round 10: 10- 9 Pacquiao
Round 11: 10- 9 Marquez
Round 12: 10- 9 Marquez


Here's a glimpse of the Awesome Fight--

Unfinished Business: Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez

Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire, Jr. TKOs Luis Maldonado

Philippine IBF/IBO Flyweight World Champion Nonito “Flash” Donaire successfully defended his crown against the game Mexican challenger Luis Maldonado winning by 8th round Technical Knockout.

The Filipino Flash dominated the fight held in Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut Saturday night and clearly outclassed the challenger. He also dropped Maldonado in the 7th round before the referee Arthur Mercante Jr. stopped the fight at 2:21 in the 8th.

Nonito Donaire has the making of a boxing superstar following in the big footsteps of the sensational Manny Pacquiao in the future.

I say, he is even better in boxing skills compared to Manny Pacquiao in his early years although not as devastating with his hands as the former.

But he is a joy to watch inside the ring and a well- polished fighter owing to his amateur background with power to boot in both hands and also the big heart and the angst that come with it.

He will be a future multi- division world champion and a force to reckon with in the square ring as long as he stays focused and disciplined in his career.

Watch the December 1, 2007 Championship Fight and be the judge-

On Target: Manny Pacquiao