Donaire snatches win in ninth

MANILA, Philippines - Heading into the ninth and penultimate round, Nonito Donaire Jr. felt that he was losing the fight against Vic Darchinyan.

But that was until Donaire, former world champion in four weight classes, landed his vaunted left hook that sent his old rival down.

“When he hit me in the cheek, I thought he broke my cheek,” Donaire told HBO boxing commentator Max Kellerman right after the fight.

Donaire did not say when he got hurt but it could have been in the closing seconds of the fifth round when Darchinyan nailed him with a big left cross.

The Filipino boxer, who turns 31 in six days, looked hurt, but as the 37-year-old Darchinyan pressed the attack, the bell rang.

Before the end came, Donaire was losing the fight.

“So, part of my mind was like, “This is it for me. This is it for me. I’m losing the fight. Should I keep going?” said Donaire.

And he kept going.

“I put my heart into it. I would never ever quit,” added the former world champion in the flyweight, super-flyweight, bantamweight and super-bantamweight classes.

The knockout came late in the non-title fight scheduled for 10 rounds. But it was the same result for Donaire.

When Donaire and Darchinyan, also a multi-division champion, first fought in 2007, the Filipino scored a sensational fifth-round stoppage.

Darchinyan was the undefeated flyweight king at the time. He waited for six years for the rematch and went out to avenge the defeat.

This time they fought as featherweights.

Darchinyan looked good in the opening rounds, dictating the fight by repeatedly hitting Donaire with his left. By the fourth round, there was redness in Donaire’s face.

Darchinyan was ahead on the scorecards of two of the three judges when he hit the deck. He managed to beat the count but it was clear that he was gone.

Donaire went for the kill, landing a couple of punches and rocking the Armenian. He cornered Darchinyan and threw uppercuts. Then the referee stepped in.

The end came in the 2:06 mark of the ninth round at the American Bank Center in Corpus Chritsti in Texas.

Two judges had it 78-74 for Darchinyan while the other had it even at 74. The STAR had it 77-75 for Darchinyan (39-6-1).

As referee Lawrence Cole held on to Darchinyan, Donaire raised his arms and walked toward his corner, and was met by his trainer, Robert Garcia.

During the break after the eighth round, Garcia told Donaire to throw more punches, saying, “You can’t win this fight by throwing one punch.”

Well, Donaire won the fight with one punch.

Donaire’s father, Nonito Sr., was inside the ring, celebrating the victory. After being absent in his son’s last few fights, he’s back in his corner.

There was no title at stake, and there was no belt to hold up high. Instead, Donaire raised his four-month old son, Jarel, like a trophy.

It was Donaire’s first fight since he lost his super-bantamweight titles to Guillermo Rigondeaux last April. He said he wants a rematch with the two-time Olympic champion from Cuba.

“I’m going for your boy,” Donaire, now 32-2 with 21 knockouts, told Kellerman.

“The Flash is back,” the noted boxing commentator said over the microphone.

On the eve of the fight, Donaire prayed for the countless victims of Typhoon Yolanda.

And after the victory, he didn’t miss the chance to dedicate the fight to his countrymen.

“First and foremost, prayers to the people in the Philippines, who were hit by the typhoon,” he said.

“It wasn’t MY win tonight. It was the Philippines’ win. We are strong and we have faith,” Donaire said via Twitter.

Indeed, it was a victory for the Philippines.