Donaire Beats Darchinyan: Rigondeaux’s Next
The long awaited Nonito Donaire vs. Vic Darchinyan rematch has finally concluded and the same weapon - the left-hook - was what ultimately decided the match in favour of "The Filipino Flash."
Darchinyan surprised the crowd when he came on sharp in the early rounds, catching Donaire with several shots using his right hand.
While he taunted Nonito here and there, the Armenian was fighting smartly in the match, avoiding his usual brawling ways, though, inciting a couple, in some of the early rounds, just before the bell rings.
Donaire, on the other hand, looked to cautious and hesitant as he was rocked by early punches landed by Darchinyan, which he affirmed in the post-match interview.
He revealed that he was hit somewhere on his cheek, which gave him negative thoughts as the fight was progressing.
"When he hit me in my cheek, I felt like he broke my cheek," said Donaire.
"Part of my mind was like, 'Is this it for me? I'm losing the fight. Should I keep going?"
Instead of giving up, he persevered and finally caught "The Raging Bull" with the same patented left-hook that sent Darchinyan down to the canvas when they first met, only that this time, it happened in the ninth round.
"But you know what? I put my heart into it and said I would never, ever quit," he added.
Donaire revealed that before his loss to Guillermo Rigondeaux, he found it hard to motivate himself as he felt that he had nothing left to prove.
Finally, when he was asked on who he wanted to face next, he answered with conviction.
"I'm gonna pick your boy, how about that?" he said, referring to Rigondeaux.