The last time we saw the Filipino Flash, he was getting the beat down of a lifetime.
Believe it or not, Nonito Donaire Jr. is still fighting.
And, believe it or not, The Filipino Flash is fighting for a title—again.
That would make sense given Donaire’s standing as among the very best of this generation—a four-division world champion who was, once upon a time, a fixture in mythical pound-for-pound lists.
But Donaire is already 40 years old, and he is coming off a brutal beat down at the hands of Japan’s Naoye Inoue.
An argument can also be made that Donaire, 6-4 in his last 10 bouts, is a shell of his former self—slower, less explosive, and with a compromised chin already.
Evidently, the WBC thinks otherwise, approving his title fight against Alexandro Santiago for the WBC bantamweight belt vacated by the aforementioned Inoue. The decision comes three months after the governing body initially ordered Donaire and Australia’s Jason Moloney to negotiate a title fight.
Moloney, though, chose to purse the WBO diadem instead, and so Donaire will now be facing Santiago, an unheralded Mexican prizefighter with a 27-3 record, on July 16 in Las Vegas.
The switch should bode well for The Filipino Flash, who can ill afford another loss—not after his one-sided defeat to The Monster. And it appears Donaire is well aware of it.
“I’m coming to the ring on July 15 to take that belt home and there’s no second option for me,” said Donaire in a report by Boxing Scene. “I’m thankful to my team for this opportunity and I’ve been training hard to make the most of it. I’ve brought in some really fast fighters who have helped me prepare, and my team has really focused on giving me some defensive pointers.”
Now, no one can ever question Donaire’s preparations. But this next fight may very well be make-or-break for the 40-year-old, whose run at the top was as memorable as it was spectacular.
And, at this point, there would be no shame in calling it a career.
Then again, a champion deserves the benefit of the doubt. Hopefully, The Filipino Flash can make the most out of this gift of a title shot.