Next weekend (December 11), four of the top bantamweights in boxing will face off in a Showtime-sponsored tournament. But last night (December 4), Nonito Donaire sent a message to that group and boxing fans with a merciless drubbing of solid contender Volodymyr Sydorenko.
Donaire would say later that he was highly motivated to impress going into a February 2011 showdown with Fernando Montiel. the Filipino Flash hurt Sydorenko badly with a counter left hook, the same shot that gave him his signature victory over Vic Darchinyan. Donaire followed-up by repeatedly driving his straight right into Sydorenko’s reddening face. A Donaire left uppercut-straight right dropped him hard, and only the bell saved Sydorenko from a first round KO.
Sydorenko never stopped trying. He caught Donaire with a nice right hook, and continued trying to slip inside. The problem was he couldn’t avoid Donaire’s speed and power. Sydorenko was hurt again, this time from a left uppercut-left hook. In the third, Sydorenko found himself on the mat again from a step back left hook over his slow lead right. With a swelling right eye and probable broken nose, it was a surprising that Sydorenko was able to even make it out of the round.
He would have no such luck in the fourth. Donaire missed a left hook, but landed a jarring straight right that forced Sydorenko to take a knee. His broken nose flowed with blood, and the referee wisely put an end to the massacre.
Many fighters come into stay busy fights with their foot off the gas. Donaire explained that his upcoming showdown with Fernando Montiel fueled the aggression fans viewed last night.
“I have the February fight with Montiel. I’m really, really motivated,” Donaire said. “I can dominate anybody when I’m at 100%.”
Donaire improves his record to 25-1 (17 KOs), while Volodymyr Sydorenko suffers his first knockout loss, and falls to 22-3-2 (7 KOs).
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This was the best performance of Top Rank’s “In Harm’s Way” pay-per-view, eclipsing Humberto Soto’s main event decision win over Urbano Antillon. Donaire made him look like one, but Sydorenko is no pushover. The tough Ukrainian is a former WBA titlist who’s made seven defenses. It’s a shame that Donaire is not in next week’s tournament. But the Montiel match is an excellent substitute, and the winner will be a lock to face the winner of the tournament by the end of 2011. Finally, after years of treading water, it looks like Donaire’s career has gotten back on track.
Beats, Boxing and Mayhem 