Donaire TKO’s Arce retains WBO boxing title
Posted on December 16th, 2012 under Sporting Gold
Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire Jr. retained his WBO super bantamweight title with a technical knockout victory over Mexican warrior Jorge Arce in the 3rd round.
The 30-year-old dropped Arce for the first time in second round with a short right hand but the Mexican got back on his feet. The Filipino boxer then finished the bout with a counter left hook as the referee stopped the fight at the 2:59 mark of the third round.
The pro-Arce crowd at the Toyota Center in Houston Texas was left stunned.
This was Donaire’s fourth win this year alone and his 30th straight victory overall. He improved to 31-1 with his 20th career knockout, and has not lost since the second fight of his career back in 2001.
The victory brought some joy for Filipino fight fans still stunned at Manny Pacquiao’s knockout loss a week ago to Mexico’s Juan Manuel Marquez.
“There were a lot of fans who were like, ‘You have got to get him. This is for the Philippines.’ I hope they can be proud of what I did,” Donaire said.
Arce, 33, fell to 61-7 with two drawn bouts, in what he said was the final fight of his career.
“My career is over. I’m leaving after losing to the best man,” Arce said. “He is very good. He has power. He can finish the fight at any moment.
“I promised my family if I lost I would leave. I retire to go home and watch the fights on TV.”
Donaire scored a knockdown of Arce with a powerful straight right hand about a minute into the second round, forcing the challenger to touch his gloves and a knee to the canvas.
Donaire, 30, again knocked Arce to the canvas with a pair of left hooks late in the second round and, in the third, landed the knockout blow to end it.
“I got him with a straight right and the counter hook came in after that,” Donaire said.
To start the year, Donaire took the vacant bantamweight crown with a split decision last February over Puerto Rico’s Wilfredo Vazquez. Then he beat South African Jeffrey Mathebula last July and Japan’s Toshiaki Nishioka in October in prior title defences.