World Bantamweight Champion and Top-Five pound for pound fighter Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire will make his New York debut in an exciting title defense against undefeated two-division world champion OMAR “El Huracán” NARVAEZ on October 22 in the Theater at Madison Square Garden, the Mecca of Boxing. Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Madison Square Garden, the Donaire-Narvaez world title tilt will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark, beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast.)
“The electricity in New York fights is unlike any city. New York has long been the Mecca of boxing and when you are able to bring in one of the pound-for-pound greats, like Nonito Donaire, it is great for the sport and great for his development and marketability,” said Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank.
“Nonito Donaire is one of the sport’s most compelling prizefighters and we are thrilled to have him back on network,” said Kery Davis, senior vice president, HBO Sports. “Meeting undefeated Omar Narvaez in the venerable Theater at Madison Square Garden should make for an exciting night of television on HBO.”
Donaire (26-1, 18 KOs), a native of General Santos City, now living in the Bay Area of San Leandro, Calif., is a consensus top-five pound for pound fighter. He enters this fight riding a nine-year, 25-bout winning streak, which includes an IBF/IBO flyweight title knockout victory of defending champion Vic Darchinyan, and a fourth-round blasting of former WBA bantamweight champion Wladimir Sidorenko last December. However, Donaire’s most impressive victory occurred in his last fight, on February 19, when he knocked out defending WBC/WBO bantamweight champion Fernando Montiel in the second round, ending Montiel’s 25-bout winning streak while also claiming his third world title in as many weight divisions. Ten of Donaire’s last 11 victories have come by way of knockout.
Narvaez (35-0-2, 23 KOs), of Cordoba, Argentina, a two-time Olympian, will be making his U.S. debut. The undefeated southpaw captured his first world title – the WBO flyweight championship – in his 12th professional fight, knocking down interim champion Adonis Rivas in the seventh round en route to a dominant unanimous decision in 2002. Narvaez successfully defended his title 16 times during his seven-year reign before vacating it in early 2010 to campaign at a heavier weight class. He won the vacant WBO junior bantamweight title in May 2010, pitching a near shutout to win a unanimous decision over Everth Briceno. Narvaez, one of South America’s most popular fighters, has successfully defended his new title three times, all by unanimous decision, against opponents who had a combined record of 54-2 when he fought them.[TOP RANK]
