Sports

Donaire is still WBA bantam champ

NONITO “The Filipino Flash” Donaire knocked out American boxer Stephon Young during the sixth round of the bout in Louisiana, USA yesterday, retaining his title as the champion of World Boxing Association (WBA) bantamweight.

The victory for the 36-year old fighter earned him a slot for the World Boxing Super Series Bantamweight Finals, a special tournament involving the world’s finest bantams, on May 18.

Donaire dominated the six rounds of the fight, and it took a thunderous left hook to flatten the American boxer.

Young is a last-minute replacement contender against Donaire as the original opponent, Zolani Tete of South Africa, suffered shoulder injury.

Young was only supposed to fight in the undercard but was tapped as Tete’s replacement three days before the fight.

Manila Bulletin’s sports reporter, Nick Giongco, covered the fight in Lafayette, Louisiana. He reported that Young was “out cold even before his head hit the floor” and that the referee didn’t even to count and immediately declared an end to the fight.

“Donaire was visibly concerned over Young’s fate that he came over to check on his fallen foe’s condition while doctors attended to him,” Giongco wrote. “Young…was down for about a minute before being allowed to get on his feet.”

Donaire had four division titles — the flyweight, super bantamweight, featherweight, and bantamweight making him in the company of Senator Manny Pacquiao and two other Filipino boxers with world championships in their belts.

Photo credit: Fightnews.com

Staff Report

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