Donaire Beats Vetyeka After Four Rounds, Technical Decision

Nonito Donaire had to endure headbutts galore against Simpiwe Vetyeka  in Macau on May 31, and the Filipino managed to stay composed enough to take the fight to place where his power could speak loudly. The end came after round four, when the 31-year-old Donaire’s cut, on his left eye, was deemed too nasty to continue. Thus, we went to the cards, and Nonito got the nod at the Cotai Arena, via technical decision, on a Top Rank card.

The scores were 49-46, across the board.

Ref Luis Pabon conferred with the ringside officials for a long spell after the minute rest period ended, and looked to figure out the proper decision.

A clash at the end of round one sliced opened Donaire’s left eye, in a bout seen on HBO. The first one, which drew blood, didn’t look horrid, but it started bleeding copiously right away. Another one had Nonito wincing, and blinking, and looking frustrated.

In the third, Donaire’s power stood out. He sat down on his shots, looked to be nasty with the right, and staggered the 33-year-old South African with a right. The winner’s left eye didn’t look great, and he had to slip jabs to keep it from closing. He got caught clean, off a counter right uppercut, from Vetyeka, but down the loser went down, on a left hook, right after.

He was up, and looked OK with 1:27 left. The ref had the doc look at Nonito with 23 seconds left, the third time ref Pabon called a halt to do that. Sim landed at the end of the round, and Nonito blinked in distress.

Donaire is 33-2, the loser 26-3. Nonito now owns the WBA super feather crown.

The winner told Larry Merchant he had trouble seeing, and the cut closing solvent was getting in his eye…but he said he knew he needed to continue for his fans. He also said he didn’t like the way this one ended, and offered the loser a rematch. He kept offering the loser respect, and said there is “unfinished business.” The loser told Larry Merchant that he didn’t think a butt opened the cut. He said he does hope a rematch occurs.

The winner went 47-141 to 49-148 for the loser, according to CompuBox.

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