Nonito Donaire & Brandon Rios Score Stoppage Wins
HBO’s doubleheader on Saturday evening certainly didn’t disappoint with its exciting slate of fights including Brandon Rios vs. Mike Alvarado and Nonito Donaire vs. Toshiaki Nishioka. Rios and Donaire each emerged victorious with a stoppage victory. Right here, take a look at a recap of the fights plus a great collection of fight night photos.
Rios vs. Alvarado Results
In a fight which was predicted to provide Fight of the Year fireworks and almost was guaranteed to end before the final bell, the two warriors here didn’t disappoint. Rios scored a thrilling 7th round TKO victory, closing the show at 1:57 of the seventh when referee Pat Russell jumped in and saved Alvarado from the battering he was taking.
This was no blowout victory for Rios, however. It was Alvarado who controlled much of the middle rounds of the battle, and at the time of the stoppage, the judges had the fight scored as a draw – 57-57, 57-57 and 58-56 for Rios.
You have to take your hat off for these two guys – they knew what to expect, and they knew what the fans were expecting, and they delivered. Rios is certainly a major player in the crowded junior welterweight division now.
Donaire vs. Nishioka Results
Nonito Donaire made his own case to move up higher in the pound for pound rankings with a dominant showing against the game Japanese champion Toshiaki Nishioka. Donaire finished the show at 1:54 of Round 9, after knocking Nishioka down for the second time of the evening.
Donaire controlled the early action in a fight which began rather slowly. He was looking for his big shots but was content to dictate with his speed, using his jab and measuring his opponent. In the 6th, Donaire sent Nishioka to the canvas with a fantastic left uppercut. In the 9th, he sent him down again and got the stoppage. Ultimately, he was just too much for Nishioka to handle, and that was clear from the start of the contest.
With the victory, Donaire places himself as the top dog in the super bantamweight division, although it’s likely that he moves up to featherweight to continue grabbing titles in more divisions while seeking big paydays.
Thanks for checking out our recap of the Rios vs. Alvarado and Donaire vs. Nishioka results, keep on checking back with us for more post-fight coverage and analysis.
