Donaire ‘s Redemption: Veteran Boxer Returns as World Champion
DONAIRE – Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire Jr. made a strong statement with his comeback, outclassing Campos in a technical decision win.
Nonito Donaire is once again a world boxing champion after securing the World Boxing Association (WBA) interim bantamweight title in his comeback fight. The 42-year-old Filipino legend marked his return to the ring with a technical decision win over Chilean fighter Andres Campos on Sunday at Casino Buenos Aires in Argentina.
Though the fight ended in a less-than-ideal fashion, it was a triumphant return for Donaire, who last fought in July 2023. The bout was halted in the ninth round after Donaire sustained a cut above his right eye from an accidental clash of heads. Due to the nature of the injury, the match went to the judges’ scorecards. All three judges ruled in favor of Donaire, with scores of 88-83, 87-84, and 87-84, awarding him the victory and the interim title.
The win improves Donaire’s professional record to 43 wins, 8 losses, and 28 knockouts. Despite setbacks in his previous two outings—including a knockout loss to Naoya Inoue in 2022 and a unanimous decision defeat to Alejandro Santiago in 2023—Donaire has shown remarkable resilience in reclaiming a world title.
His opponent, 28-year-old Andres Campos, now holds a record of 17 wins, 3 losses, and 1 draw, with 6 victories by knockout.
According to the report, Donaire’s win adds to the Philippines’ current roster of world boxing champions, joining the ranks of minimumweight titleholders Melvin Jerusalem and Pedro Taduran. It also further cements Donaire’s legendary status, having previously won world titles across four weight divisions: flyweight, super flyweight, bantamweight, and featherweight.
In 2021, Donaire made history by becoming the oldest bantamweight world champion at age 38, defeating Nordine Oubaali by knockout. Now at 42, his latest victory adds another milestone to a storied career that continues to inspire boxing fans around the world.
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