NONITO Donaire Jr. could have stepped away from the ring for good.
At 36 years old and losing via unanimous decision to Naoya Inoue in the World Boxing Super Series bantamweight final, the Filipino Flash could have looked at his resume back in 2019 and chose to hang his gloves for good.
Winning seven titles in four weight divisions, Donaire really had nothing more to prove.
But the thing is it's Donaire and only him who can decide if he no longer has any gas left in the tank.
It turns out, he still did. And he got plenty.

After beating COVID-19 in 2020, Donaire delivered a comeback to remember as he dispatched Nordine Oubaali to claim the WBC bantamweight title in May.
And it wasn't just any victory -- it was a domineering one as he sent the French titleholder to the canvas thrice, the last of which after a pair of killer body shots that forced referee Jack Reiss to call for the bell at the 1:42 mark of the fourth round.
More importantly, Donaire gained a piece of history as he became the oldest world bantamweight champion at 38 years and 194 days-old -- besting the previous record held by Gerry Penalosa, who was 35 when he captured the WBO crown in 2007.
But this is no one night wonder and Donaire intended to keep himself at this pedestal for as long as he could.

At 39, Donaire wasted little time dispatching his mandatory challenger and compatriot Reymart Gaballo, sending him sprawling with a solid left hook to the body to earn another fourth round knockout win back in December.
What made the pair of wins more impressive was the seasoned Donaire handing his considerably younger opponents their first career losses -- proving that wisdom can still trump over youth even in the field of the sweet science.
SOTY 2021: Reader's Choice awardee Nonito Donaire
Rightfully so, Donaire earned the nod as the Reader's Choice for Spin.ph's 2021 Sportsman of the Year, garnering an overwhelming vote to outshine his equally deserving peers.

Also among the candidates included fellow boxers, namely the IBF junior-bantamweight champion Jerwin Ancajas, WBO International featherweight champion Mark Magsayo, and Donaire's rival and WBO bantamweight champion John Riel Casimero.
Donaire also bested standouts from other sports, including middle blocker Jaja Santiago of Ageo Medics for volleyball, 2021 Copa Paulino Alcantara Golden Boot winner Jarvey Gayoso of Azkals Development Team for football, and reigning ONE Strawweight World Champion Joshua Pacio for mixed martial arts.
Already cementing his place in the annals of boxing lore, Donaire knows that his time fighting inside the ring may not be for long. But no matter how uncertain his future holds, he promises to keep doing his best regardless of who he's facing against.
After all, kalabaw lang ang tumatanda.

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