MANILA – Nonito ‘The Filipino Flash’ Donaire knocked down South African Jeffrey Mathebula in the fourth round en route to a convincing unanimous win in their super bantamweight showdown at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California yesterday.

With his impressive victory, Donaire unified the World Boxing Organization and International Boxing Federation super bantamweight champion.

Donaire dropped his taller opponent with a solid left hook towards the end of the fourth quarter and went on to dominate Mathebula for an overwhelming 117-110, 118-109 and 119-108 scores.

The Filipino champion improved his ring record to 29-1 and expected to target the World Boxing Council belt of Japanese fighter Toshiaki Nishioka (39-4-3) who had reportedly expressed interest to fight Donaire.

Donaire dictated the first two rounds of the fight, using his quickness and impressive counterpunches that forced the five-foot-eleven Mathebula to backpedal specially in the later rounds.

Mathebula absorbed his fourth defeat in 32 fights with only 14 knockouts as against Donaire’s 18 stoppages.*PNA

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