A Filipino boxing legend is set for a comeback fight ahead of the great Manny Pacquiao.
Former world champion Nonito Donaire is penciled for a June 14 showdown against Andres Campos of Chile for the interim WBA bantamweight belt.
The 12-round bout set at the Casino Buenos Aires in Argentina, will be the first for the 42-year-old Donaire in almost two years, or since losing a unanimous decision to Alexandro Santiago of Mexico for the vacant WBC bantamweight crown.
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Unlike Pacquiao, 46, who is coming out of retirement to vie for the WBC welterweight championship against reigning champ Mario Barrios, Donaire never officially hang up his gloves and was actually in negotiations with the camp of another former world title holder, Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzales of Nicaragua.
But the potentially explosive fight didn’t push through.
It’s the bout against Campos, 28, that eventually fell on the lap of Donaire, a four-time world division champion and future Hall of Famer.
Campos, owner of a 17-2-1 record with 6 KOs, moved up in weight in his last two bouts.
Previously, he fought for the WBC flyweight championship in 2023, but lost by unamious decision to defending champion Sunny Edwards.
The interim belt became vacant after regular champion Seiya Tsutsumi of Japan was declared champion in recess by the WBA due to a health issue.
That paved way for interim holder Antonio Vargas to be elevated as the regular bantamweight champion.
Winner of the Donaire-Campos battle will have a possible shot at challenging for the regular WBA belt now held by Vargas.
Donaire (42-8-0 with 28 KOs) is the oldest fighter to win the bantamweight belt at 38 years old when he scored a fourth-round knockout against previously undefeated Nordine Oubaali to claim the WBC crown in May of 2021.
But he lost to twice undisputed bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue of Japan in a pair of unification fights, including one in 2022 where he absorbed a second round technical knockout in Saitama, Japan.
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