By Ronnie Nathanielsz
In what seemed like a flash super flyweight Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire scored a first round TKO over Jose Luis Cardenas in one of the supporting bouts on HBO's Boxing After Dark at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, California yesterday.
The 23 year old Filipino who was born in General Santos City, the hometown of Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao, decked Cardenas with a vicious left after around 90 seconds of the opening round and then nailed him with another solid left hook that sent Cardenas flat on his back forcing the referee to call a halt at 1:58 of the round.
Donaire who won the vacant North American Boxing Federation super flyweight title last January 20 beating Karen Harutyunan by a split decision improved to 15-1 with 9 knockouts while the 27 year old Cardenas dropped to 5-7-1 with 3 KO's. In that fight Donaire also decked Harutyunan who used to spar with Pacquiao when Pacquiao was a
super bantamweight and won by a 97-92 margin on the scorecards of two of the three judges.
Cardenas was coming off a sixth round majority decision over Tony Valdez last July 15 but was no match for Donaire who stalked him early in the round throwing a few tentative punches before cracking him with a left hook. Cardenas beat the count but Donaire quickly went after him and decked him for the second time and the referee had no hesitation in ending the fight.
Donaire and his brother Glenn Donaire both fought and lost to reigning WBC light flyweight champion Brian Viloria during trials for the US team to the 2000 Sydney Olympics and both fighters claim they were robbed and would love to get back at Viloria who reportedly avoided them.
