Nonito Donaire was unaware of the exact stakes when he first agreed to take on a dangerous showdown with Seiya Tsutsumi.
There was also a part of him that didn’t really care.
“I’ve always been known for just going for what’s in front of me,” Donaire told BoxingScene. “Whatever top name is available, I’m always willing to fight. It’s what motivates me and inspires me.”
As it turned out, the full version of the WBA 118lbs title will be at stake for their title consolidation bout this Wednesday from Ryogoku Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo.
At the time, Tsutsumi, 12-0-3 (8 KOs), was the sanctioning body’s “Champion in Recess” while Donaire, 43-8 (28 KOs) was technically the higher ranked as the WBA interim 118lbs titlist. The most recent WBA ratings update revealed that Tsutsumi’s previous full title reign was restored, swapping places with the unavailable Antonio Vargas who is now “Champion in Recess.”
At 43 and with the opportunity to take on a top bantamweight in the twilight of his incredible career, Donaire was prepared to make the trip abroad no matter what belt was on the line.
“Tsutsumi is regarded as the number one bantamweight in the world,” Donaire simply stated. “Beating a fighter of that caliber inspires and drives me to keep going.”
Donaire has carved out a Hall of Fame resume from that very mentality throughout his 24-year career.
He’s won major titles in four weight divisions, including the very best in the world at flyweight, bantamweight and junior featherweight. His incredible run at 122lbs provided Donaire with 2012 Fighter of the Year honors, a year where he also raised the bar in agreeing to true year-round random drug testing, in- or out-of-competition.
That clean lifestyle has allowed Donaire to remain well-preserved even in his third decade as a pro.
Proof was offered even in his most recent bout, a technical decision win over Andres Campos in a fight he took on little more than a month’s notice. Donaire traveled to Buenos Aires, Argentina to take part in the WBA’s “KO Drugs” festival, where he claimed the sanctioning body’s interim 118lbs title.
A win over Tsutsumi on Wednesday will see Donaire once again break his own record as the oldest boxer ever to win a bantamweight title. He set the mark in a November 2018 stoppage win over Ryan Burnett to claim the WBA 118lbs belt, just two weeks shy of 36th birthday at the time. It marked his second tour as a titleholder at the weight, which lasted one year until he fell short to Naoya Inoue in their 2019 Fight of the Year honored throwdown.
Donaire broke his own record in a May 2021 knockout in over then-unbeaten WBC titlist Nordine Oubaali, though again seeing his title reign end against Inoue in a June 2022 knockout defeat. A failed July 2023 bid against Alexandro Santiago drew concern that the end was near – if it didn’t already arrive.
Instead, Donaire rode out the changing of the guard in the division – Inoue moving up to 122lbs where he is the longtime undisputed champ, and Junto Nakatani unifying two belts before he also moved up. He is now once again prepared to take down the best in the world left at the weight.
“The level of competition at the top is no longer what it was when Inoue was at the top and then Junto,” noted Donaire of a divisional crown that is there for the taking. “The top spot is now wide open for the taking. There is still a high caliber of talent in the division. They’re not at the level of Inoue and Junto but they’re tough and capable.
“These are the challenges I seek as I still aspire to become undisputed.”
