Donaire Handles Concepcion On Pinoy Power 2

The vacant WBA interim super flyweight title was up for grabs Saturday night, and former IBF flyweight champion Nonito Donaire (22-1, 14 KOs) won it with a unanimous decision over Rafael Concepcion (13-4-1, 8 KOs) at the Hard Rock Hotel/Casino in Las Vegas. The clash was part of the Pinoy Power 2 pay-per-view.

Concepcion got off to a horrid start Friday, as he weighed-in four-and-a-half pounds overweight, and his fortune didn’t change Saturday, as the 26-year-old Filipino Donaire took the crown by scores of 117-111, 115-113, 116-112. Donaire moved smartly, as he frustrated Concepcion, who didn’t cut him off effectively. The 27-year-old Panamanian Concepcion, who boasted a win over Filipino prospect AJ Banal in July 2008, suffered a cut under his left eye in the second, and the crimson flow was present moving forward. A fight with Fernando Montiel or Jorge Arce, who beat Concepcion in Sept. 2008, is up next for Donaire, the former holder of the IBF flyweight title. The title, FYI, would not have been awarded to the overweight Concepcion, who had to deduct $13,000 from his purse.

WBO featherweight champion Steven Luevano (from California; age 28; 37-1-1, 15 KOs) retained his crown by DQ, when number one contender Bernabe Concepcion (from the Philippines; age 21; 29-2-1, 17 KOs) hit the victor after the seventh round finished, and the hardcore blow put the lefty Luevano down for several minutes. This was Luevano’s fifth title defense.

Anthony Peterson (from D.C.; age 24; 28-0, 19 KOs) kept unbeaten with a UD over Luis Arceo (from Mexico; age 30; 22-8-2, 15 KOs), by scores of 98-92, 99-91, 97-93. This was the third straight decision win for the winner. Peterson is rated second in the WBC, behind Antonio DeMarco, and champ Edwin Valero.