Fernando Montiel-Nonito Donaire gets green light despite Montiel injury
Top Rank chief Bob Arum has confirmed that a bantamweight showdown between WBO/WBC champ Fernando Montiel (43-2, 33 KOs) and Nonito Donaire (24-1, 16 KOs) will proceed as scheduled on 19 February, despite
Montiel injuring his leg in a recent motorcycle crash.
Montiel injured his right leg on Sunday, putting off a planned tune-up bout November 20. He plans to resume training in three weeks, as per doctor’s orders, and should likewise be fit for the defence
in February.
"What we've heard, exactly, is that the leg is hurt, but that it's not fractured, and that he will be able to begin training in three weeks," Arum said to Boxing Fanhouse. “From everything that we're
hearing, it's that Fernando Montiel is going to be fine for Feb. 19 and the fight on HBO. We're looking to see if we can do that fight in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Hotel."
Soon after the accident, Montiel told reporters: “Thank God I’m fine; it was a tremendous shock. I never should have ridden on that bike, but it was an accident without consequences. This teaches me a
lesson to be careful and not to expose myself to unnecessary risks. I thank my family, friends and the fans who through the social networks have been asking about my health. In three weeks we’ll be in the gym.”
A prospective bout between Montiel and Donaire remains dependant on Donaire beating WBA bantamweight champion Voldymyr Sydorenko (22-2, 7 KOs) December 4. The fight will take place in Anaheim, California,
on the undercard for a fight between contender Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Alfonso Gomez.
Donaire’s sole loss was in the second fight of his career, in 2001. Since then he has been able to dominate the flyweight division, beating formidable competition such as Vic Darchinyan and Rafael Concepcion.
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