Nonito Donaire
Nonito Donaire Jr. gets a chance to become world champion once again after his fight with Mexican youngster Cesar Juarez was elevated by the World Boxing Organization as the title bout for the vacant super bantamweight belt.
According to ESPN.com and Yahoo! Sports, WBO has decided to upgrade Friday night’s fight (Saturday morning in Manila) in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to a world title bout.
Donaire, the 33-year-old four-division champ, has won both his fights this year and is looking forward for another breakthrough fight against 24-year-old Juarez in the fight slated at Roberto Clemente Coliseum.
The belt at stake actually once belonged to Donaire himself who lost it to Cuban Guillermo Rigondeaux in 2013 in New York City. But the unbeaten Rigondeaux was stripped of the crown for inactivity.
Donaire has since declared that he’s focused on getting back at Rigondeaux next year.