Donaire debuts as super bantam, battles Vazquez for WBO crown

Photo by Top Rank/ Chris Farina

MANILA, Philippines – Nonito Donaire Jr. will fight as a super bantamweight for the first time with the WBO title at stake against former champion Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. of Puerto Rico on Feb. 4 in San Antonio, Texas.

According to a report from ESPN.com Friday, Donaire and Vazquez will dispute the 122-lb title given up by Jorge Arce of Mexico, who decided to move back to the bantamweight (118-lb) division.

Vazquez actually held the crown before Arce snatched it from him via a 12th round TKO last May.

The Puerto Rican had floored the Mexican once in the fourth round before Arce rallied in the latter rounds.

The Donaire-Vazquez clash will be the undercard of the Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.’s WBC middleweight title defense against either
Marco Antonio Rubio or undefeated Vanes Martirosyan in Alamodome, according to the internet site quoting HBO sports.

Before the Vazquez fight materialized, Donaire, who is currently in the country, had hoped to fight Arce or Japanese Toshiaki
Nishioka this year possibly in front of his countrymen at the Mall of Asia stadium currently being constructed.

Donaire defended his WBC and WBO bantamweight titles in his last fight two months ago with a unanimous decision victory over Omar Narvaez of Argentina, who refused to mix it up throughout the 12-round distance.

The “Filipino Flash” plans to have a busy year that will feature four fights.