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Philippines, 11 Feb 2026 |
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Donaire In Line For Shot Again at WBA Regular Bantamweight Title By Teodoro Medina Reynoso PhilBoxing.com Sun, 21 Sep 2025  Even if regular champion Antonio Vargas of the US refuses to defend against him, Nonito Donaire may find himself fighting for another term as WBA bantamweight titlist next year. This after erstwhile regular titleholder downgraded to champion in recess Seiya Tsutsumi of Japan recently made clear his intention not only to reclaim his old title from Vargas but also unify all WBA belts by fighting Donaire next after beating Vargas. Then interim titlist Vargas failed to secure a title fight against Tsutsumi in view of the Japanese inability to defend it against him due to injuries he suffered in a previous drawn title defense versus Daigo Higa. The WBA was prompted to declare the title vacant and Tsutsumi as champion in recess. Vargas won the vacant regular championship by beating Winston Guerrero of Nicarahua Vargas recently made a successful title defense by holding Higa to a draw in the undercard of Naoya Inoue-Morudjon Akhmadaliev main event won comfortably on points by Inoue. It was here that Tsutsumi personally made known to Vargas his intentions to reclaim and unify all WBA belts. Donaire on the other hand claimed the vacant WBA interim bantamweight title by defeating Chilean Andres Campos by technical decision in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Nonito had originally planned to challenge Vargas for the regular championship but with Tsutsumi coming back to assert his right, this plan has to be shelved temporarily pending the winner of the projected Tsutsumi-Vargas fight. Given the resources of Japanese promoters, the Tsutsumi-Vargas fight could be held as early as December in Japan. That means the winner would only be available to Donaire by March next year. And that means also that Donaire needs at least a stay busy fight to keep in shape and prepare. Donaire previously had a term as WBA bantamweight champion after defeating Ryan Burnett via retirement stoppage in 2018. He had a successful defense before losing the title on points to Naoya Inoue in their first fight in 2019. The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.  |
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