FORMER four-division boxing champion Nonito Donaire Jr. has quickly re-entered the title picture after a nearly two-year hiatus.
Though his comeback fight ended anticlimactically, Donaire secured the interim World Boxing Association (WBA) bantamweight title by defeating Andres Campos of Chile via technical unanimous decision on Saturday night (Sunday, June 15, 2025, PH time) in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The bout was stopped one minute into the ninth round due to a clash of heads that left Donaire with a cut above his right eye, impairing his vision. At the time of the stoppage, the scorecards read 87-84, 87-84, and 88-83, all in favor of “The Filipino Flash.”
With the victory, Donaire snapped a two-fight skid and improved to 43-8 with 23 knockouts.
“Sorry that this happened,” Donaire (43-8, 28 KOs) expressed regarding the early stoppage. “I wanted to show my fighting heart and warrior spirit to the people of Argentina. Next time, I will give it all and do my best. Today, this is my victory and also Argentina’s victory for this opportunity.”
The win marks Donaire’s first since December 2021, when he defended his WBC bantamweight title against Reymart Gaballo. His subsequent fights included a second-round knockout loss to Naoya Inoue in June 2022 and a lopsided decision loss to Alexandro Santiago in July 2023.
Donaire, born in the Philippines and raised in Las Vegas, hadn’t fought for almost two years, largely due to a planned but ultimately canceled showdown with Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez and a recovery period after a car crash
last March.
His return against Campos (17-3-1, 6 KOs), a former flyweight contender, wasn’t without its early challenges. A head clash in the first round bothered Campos, and Donaire himself was clipped by a head-butt later in the round.
However, the 42-year-old quickly shook off any ring rust by the second round, effectively utilizing his right hand and left hook.
Despite Campos having moments of success, particularly in the fourth round, Donaire maintained control, consistently pressing the action and landing effective body shots.
Another head-butt in the sixth round led to a warning for both fighters.
In the eighth, Donaire was briefly thrown to the canvas but responded with a strong right before the bell. The fight ultimately concluded in the ninth when yet another clash of heads caused the severe cut to Donaire’s right eyelid, prompting the ringside physician to advise the referee to stop the bout.
The victory positions Donaire as the mandatory challenger for the primary WBA bantamweight title currently held by Antonio Vargas (19-1, 11 KOs), who is set to defend his belt against Daigo Higa on July 30 in Japan.
Regardless of what his future holds in the ring, Donaire’s legacy is already cemented. He is widely considered a future International Boxing Hall of Famer, having held championships in the flyweight, bantamweight, junior featherweight, and featherweight divisions.
The 118-pound division has often been his sweet spot, where he made history in November 2018 by defeating Ryan Burnett to become the oldest bantamweight titleholder, a record he broke again in May 2021 against Nordine Ouballi.
Despite recent setbacks, a team decision was made last year for Donaire to make one more run. The opportunity to headline the WBA’s “KO to Drugs” event provided the perfect platform for his comeback, even if the cut-induced ending prevented him from showcasing his full arsenal.
“I will always strive to do better,” Donaire assured his fans. “Without you, I am nothing.” / FROM THE WIRES