RYAN BURNETT ENDURED a sickening stroke of misfortune as he lost his WBA world title to Nonito Donaire after suffering what looked to be a freak hip injury in the fourth round of tonight’s World Boxing Super Series quarter-final.
Belfast’s Burnett was boxing well at Glasgow’s SSE Hydro Arena and had enjoyed slightly the better of the opening three rounds, but crumbled to his knee midway through the fourth, holding his right hip while conspicuously in agony.
Burnett was given a count by referee Howard and beat it, but rendered borderline immobile was a sitting duck as he retreated to the ropes to gamely fend off a nuclear barrage by the heavy-handed four-weight world champion Donaire.
The Irishman survived the round but could barely walk back to his corner. When he finally got there, it soon became apparent that the fight would be stopped, which it duly was.
It’s all over! Ryan Burnett retires in the corner after the fourth following a back injury, Nonito Donaire Jr. (@filipinoflash) is the new WBA bantamweight champion! He advances to face WBO bantamweight champ Zolani Tete pic.twitter.com/Y62PgVkCFP
Dethroned, disgusted and still in serious pain, Burnett was consoled on his stool by Donaire, one of boxing’s gentlemen who scarcely celebrated ‘victory’ but will nonetheless take his place in the World Boxing Super Series semi-final.
‘The Filipino Flash’ had more than played his role in what had transpired to be a pulsating encounter on the banks of the Clyde. This writer had Burnett up 29-28 before the fourth round in which it all went wrong for the champion.
In a tight opener, Burnett was quick off the mark with a searching overhand right which was partially parried by Donaire. A stiff Burnett jab one minute in found the target wholly, but Donaire began to throw with spite as the round wound down: a couple of venomous flurries found the mark as Burnett was caught unusually flat-footed near the ropes.
Burnett cracked the Pinoy star with a stern right hook to start the second, following it up with decent work behind his barbed jab — a right hand to Donaire’s midriff the pick of his shots.
Donaire, though, remained active, sneaking a right of his own past Burnett’s watertight guard. The Belfast man fired back with a neat straight right, and with seconds remaining in the sophomore stanza followed up with a sweetly-delivered three-punch combination at centre-ring, a left uppercut to Donaire’s chin the cherry on top.
Burnett on the attack against Donaire PA Wire / PA Images
PA Wire / PA Images / PA Images
Donaire was noticeably huge at the weight having moved down two divisions from featherweight, where he was beaten on points by Carl Frampton last time out.
In his first fight at bantam for seven years, the soon-to-be 36-year-old imposed that slight physical edge seconds into the third, landing a couple of thunderous right-handed blows which drew merely a nod of acknowledgement from Burnett who responded with a couple of blocked efforts.
A beautiful jab-right-hand combo from Burnett marched Donaire backwards halfway through the round, but the seven-time world champion finished the stronger.
With 25 seconds remaining, Donaire threw a vicious left hook to the right side of Burnett’s waistband. This may have been the shot which caused the injury: when an uncomfortable-looking Burnett returned to his corner after subsequently taking a couple to the kisser with his back to the ropes, he seemed to complain about not being able to move something, audibly mentioning his waistband.
A round later, during which Burnett was evidently more reticent to exchange, it was over. When he did throw a punch with purpose — a straight right hand mid-ring — he immediately keeled over, pawing his right hip.
A stretcher is brought into the ring for Ryan Burnett PA Wire / PA Images
PA Wire / PA Images / PA Images
Donaire paid Burnett his dues post-fight, holding the ropes as the 26-year-old Belfast man was stretchered from the SSE Hydro while taking oxygen on board.
“You got a guy like Burnett who is amazing,” Donaire said. “He’s a great, great fighter. I’ve got to give it to Burnett — he’s an amazing fighter.
“The guy was fast, the guy was strong as well. Caught me with some good punches. I was just fighting a little bit like a bigger man.
“It’s not the way I want to win, but a win’s a win.”
Donaire is crowned the new WBA world champion at bantamweight PA Wire / PA Images
PA Wire / PA Images / PA Images
Donaire improves to 39-5, 25KOs while Burnett, who suffered his first career defeat in egregious circumstances, drops to 19-1, 9KOs.
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Sickening luck as apparent freak hip injury forces Burnett to retire on his stool and concede world title
RYAN BURNETT ENDURED a sickening stroke of misfortune as he lost his WBA world title to Nonito Donaire after suffering what looked to be a freak hip injury in the fourth round of tonight’s World Boxing Super Series quarter-final.
Belfast’s Burnett was boxing well at Glasgow’s SSE Hydro Arena and had enjoyed slightly the better of the opening three rounds, but crumbled to his knee midway through the fourth, holding his right hip while conspicuously in agony.
Burnett was given a count by referee Howard and beat it, but rendered borderline immobile was a sitting duck as he retreated to the ropes to gamely fend off a nuclear barrage by the heavy-handed four-weight world champion Donaire.
The Irishman survived the round but could barely walk back to his corner. When he finally got there, it soon became apparent that the fight would be stopped, which it duly was.
Dethroned, disgusted and still in serious pain, Burnett was consoled on his stool by Donaire, one of boxing’s gentlemen who scarcely celebrated ‘victory’ but will nonetheless take his place in the World Boxing Super Series semi-final.
‘The Filipino Flash’ had more than played his role in what had transpired to be a pulsating encounter on the banks of the Clyde. This writer had Burnett up 29-28 before the fourth round in which it all went wrong for the champion.
In a tight opener, Burnett was quick off the mark with a searching overhand right which was partially parried by Donaire. A stiff Burnett jab one minute in found the target wholly, but Donaire began to throw with spite as the round wound down: a couple of venomous flurries found the mark as Burnett was caught unusually flat-footed near the ropes.
Burnett cracked the Pinoy star with a stern right hook to start the second, following it up with decent work behind his barbed jab — a right hand to Donaire’s midriff the pick of his shots.
Donaire, though, remained active, sneaking a right of his own past Burnett’s watertight guard. The Belfast man fired back with a neat straight right, and with seconds remaining in the sophomore stanza followed up with a sweetly-delivered three-punch combination at centre-ring, a left uppercut to Donaire’s chin the cherry on top.
Donaire was noticeably huge at the weight having moved down two divisions from featherweight, where he was beaten on points by Carl Frampton last time out.
In his first fight at bantam for seven years, the soon-to-be 36-year-old imposed that slight physical edge seconds into the third, landing a couple of thunderous right-handed blows which drew merely a nod of acknowledgement from Burnett who responded with a couple of blocked efforts.
A beautiful jab-right-hand combo from Burnett marched Donaire backwards halfway through the round, but the seven-time world champion finished the stronger.
With 25 seconds remaining, Donaire threw a vicious left hook to the right side of Burnett’s waistband. This may have been the shot which caused the injury: when an uncomfortable-looking Burnett returned to his corner after subsequently taking a couple to the kisser with his back to the ropes, he seemed to complain about not being able to move something, audibly mentioning his waistband.
A round later, during which Burnett was evidently more reticent to exchange, it was over. When he did throw a punch with purpose — a straight right hand mid-ring — he immediately keeled over, pawing his right hip.
Donaire paid Burnett his dues post-fight, holding the ropes as the 26-year-old Belfast man was stretchered from the SSE Hydro while taking oxygen on board.
“You got a guy like Burnett who is amazing,” Donaire said. “He’s a great, great fighter. I’ve got to give it to Burnett — he’s an amazing fighter.
“The guy was fast, the guy was strong as well. Caught me with some good punches. I was just fighting a little bit like a bigger man.
“It’s not the way I want to win, but a win’s a win.”
Donaire improves to 39-5, 25KOs while Burnett, who suffered his first career defeat in egregious circumstances, drops to 19-1, 9KOs.
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Boxing first defeat Irish Boxing Nonito Donaire Ryan Burnett very unfortunate