ShareThisANAHEIM, California – Filipino boxer, Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire, has won over Wladimir Sidorenko of Ukraine to claim the WBC Continental Bantamweight belt in their fight at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
Donaire wobbled Sidorenko only 75 seconds into the fight with a powerful right and the stinging left hook that followed. Continuous combinations kept the European staggering and struggling to defend the entire round.
The victory of Donaire a few weeks after world boxing icon Manny Pacquiao defeated Mexican fighter Antonio Margarito immediately won accolade from President Benigno S. Aquino III.
The referee stopped the fight with 1:48 still remaining in the fourth round of a scheduled 12-round bantamweight title match at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
“We’d like to congratulate Mr. Donaire again, for winning this bout… I think katatapos lang po, the referee stopped the fight at the fourth round. So, congratulations Mr. Donaire, Mabuhay ka!” a statement from Malacanang said.
Donaire literally overpowered Sidorenko from the start putting the Ukrainian down the canvass three times with overwhelming power shots.
With the win, Donaire, 28, and ranked number five in the pound for pound ratings of The Ring magazine, earned the right to challenge Mexican boxer Fernando Montiel in the 118-pound titles early next year.
Montiel is the current WBO and WBC Bantamweight champion and The Ring Magazine’s number seven in the pound for pound ranking.
The Donaire-Montiel title showdown is planned for February 19.
Montiel, 43-2-2 with 33 knockouts, faces a 10-round non-title fight next week against fellow Mexican Eduardo Garcia in their homeland before his scheduled February 19 showdown with Donaire
Sidorenko was knocked to the canvas twice in the first three rounds and took a hard right to the nose in the fourth that prompted him to take a knee on the canvas.
“I wanted to make a statement in this fight and I did,” Donaire said.
The former California-based Donaire stretched his winning streak to 24 fights over 9 1/2 years, improving to 25-1 with his 17th early stoppage.
“We worked really hard for this fight,” Donaire said. “I was motivated and now the fight with Montiel is set. I knew I was able to dominate anybody if I’m motivated 100 percent.”
Former World Boxing Association world bantamweight champion Sidorenko, 34, fell to 22-3 with two drawn after the first knockout loss of his career. His only prior losses were by decision to Panamanian southpaw Anselmo Moreno.
“I felt I could take him out with one punch any time so that’s what I tried to stick to,” Donaire said.