'Filipino Flash' seals Montiel showdown

With rival Vic Darchinyan already out of the picture, Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire Jr. has trained his sights on Mexican bantamweight king Fernando “Cochulito” Montiel in his bid for a title in a third weight division.

Donaire, the former flyweight champion who recently retained his interim WBA super-flyweight crown via an eighth-round TKO of Mexican Hernan Marquez, will challenge Montiel’s WBO and WBC 118-lb belts.

The Donaire-Montiel showdown has been set in November at a still undecided venue in the US, according to a Philboxing.com report quoting thw two fighter’s promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank.

“That’s really the big fight for me. Montiel’s a great champion; for me he holds the title the best in the bantamweight (division) and I think I can handle him,” the California-based Donaire said in an earlier interview on the Sports Chat radio program yesterday.

And since Manny Pacquiao is eyeing a gig in November, the 27-year-old Donaire wishes to fight underneath the Filipino ring icon’s card.

“I really want to fight in the undercard of Manny, this will be big for Filipinos,” he said. “But then that depends on the venue because last I heard, they wanted to go to Mexico and my manager wouldn’t want that. We’ll see.”

Arum, Philboxing.com reported, will decide on a site this week after a meeting with Showtime.

Montiel knocked out former Donaire victim Rafael Concepcion of Panama in three rounds in his latest fight.

After he struggles at 115-lbs, Donaire said his next step is to move up to 118 lbs and even 122 lbs and take on the top fighters in those divisions. Aside from Montiel, ex-super bantamweight boss Israel Vasquez of Mexico is also in the Bohol-born fighter’s wish list.

“I want big fights. I want to test my skills against elite fighters and show that I’m in their league,” he said.

A much-awaited rematch with old prey Darchinyan looks remote at this point as recent negotiations with the Raging Bull’s camp for a supposed Aug. 21 encounter at super-flyweight bogged down.

Donaire said he was ready to sign the contract despite getting the short end of the terms (getting $100,000 less than his rival’s take and foregoing TV rights) but Darchinyan supposedly backed out.

“I can’t wait for him at 115-lbs anymore. I’m going to move up and fight Montiel or Vasquez,” Donaire said “If they (Darchinyan’s camp) still want to make it happen, I want to make it (terms) even this time.”

Donaire has made a name for himself when he stopped the then undefeated IBF and IBO flyweight kingpin Darchinyan in five rounds in what became 2007’s KOof the Year and Upset of the Year. After the Darchinyan fight, though, Donaire couldn’t get a big-name opponent.