By: Sean Crose
A rejuvenated Nonito Donaire returned to the ring Saturday night with a scheduled 12th round defense of the WBC bantamweight title he won from Nordine Oubaali last May. 41-6 Donaire’s opponent is fellow undefeated Filipino, Reymart Gaballo, with a score of 24-0. The match was a Showtime card main event broadcast live from the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.
The opening round was a fun one. Gaballo is very confident and aggressive. On the other hand, Donaire is patient and lands well. Both men jumped and were cautious in the second, though Donaire put his men on the rope at one point and landed well. Gaballo landed very effectively in the first minute of the third half. However, he remained cautious for fear that he would fail. Donaire used his patience and experience to good effect in the fourth installment. Indeed, the final seconds of the round saw Donaire take down – and finish off his opponent with a ricocheted rocket.
