STILL itching at another crack at a world crown despite no longer being a spring chicken at 42, Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire requested the World Boxing Association to include him in the top five of the WBA bantamweight ratings during its convention in Orlando, Florida yesterday (Saturday in the US), boxingscene.com reported.
“I am NonitoDonaire and I am representing myself,” he said. “I request to be in the top five so I can have another chance at the title.”
He made the request after WBC interim titleholder Antonio Vargas of the US also made a plea with the Panama-based world boxing body for a title shot at reigning Japanese WBC champion SeiyaTsutsumi.
“Cheers and applause followed,” the report said of the decision of the popular Filipino prizefighter, who once held the bantamweight belts in the WBA and World Boxing Council and also the International Boxing Federation super bantamweight WBA feather championships.
With a record of 48 wins, 28 by knockout and eight losses, Donaire last fought on July 29, 2023, losing by unanimous decision to Mexican Alexandro Santiago for the vacant WBC title at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Before that, the “Filipino Flash” suffered his most humbling defeat at the hands of Japanese “Monster” Naoya Inoue, who stopped the Filipino in the second round of their unification title clash on June 7, 2022 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
Donaire is staking the WBC bantamweight championship he wrested from erstwhile unbeaten French title holder Oubaali with a fourth-round knockout victory in May 2021 at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson City, California.
