Nonito Donaire doesn’t seem to mind waiting for another two weeks before getting another chance to become a world champion again.
Originally set to take place this Saturday night (Sunday in Manila), Donaire’s scheduled 12-rounder against Alejandro Santiago of Mexico for the vacant World Boxing Council bantamweight crown will now happen underneath the 29 July world welterweight clash starring Terence Crawford and Errol Spence.
The venue will be the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas with Donaire, 40, looking to regain the WBC 118-lb title he had lost to Naoya Inoue by knockout in June 2022.
“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to become a world champion once again on an already historic night for boxing,” said Donaire, who enters the ring armed with a 42-7-0 win-loss card with 28 knockouts.
“I’m thankful to my team for this opportunity and I’m going to do everything I can to make the most of it. We’re working really hard on defense and being as fast as possible. It’s been an amazing camp and I can’t wait to get in the ring.”
Santiago, who nearly beat Jerwin Ancajas some years back, parades a 27-3-5 ledger with 14 knockouts and will be fighting at 118 lbs for the first time.
“I have been waiting five years to get another world title opportunity, so another two weeks is nothing,” Santiago said.
“I’m still focused and working hard. The objective and target is still the same. I’m very fortunate and would like to thank my team for this great opportunity to be part of such an amazing event on July 29,” added the Tijuana native.
Donaire, whose spot on the International Boxing Hall of Fame is secured regardless of the outcome of his bout with Santiago, is a four-division titleholder, having won titles at fly, bantam, super-bantam and feather.
Before setting up camp in the United States last month, the heavy-handed Donaire trained for several weeks in the Philippines.
If victorious, Donaire will join Marlon Tapales as the country’s only reigning world titlists following the defeat of erstwhile World Boxing Organization minimumweight king Melvin Jerusalem in Indio, California, in late May.
After Jerusalem’s loss, two other Filipino aspirants fought for world titles but lost.
Last 23 June in Minneapolis, Jade Bornea was stopped by Argentine Fernando Martinez in his bid to win the International Boxing Federation super-flyweight plum.
Almost two weeks ago in South Africa, Regie Suganob was beaten on points by Sivenathi Nontshinga for the IBF light-fly jewels.
