Nonito Donaire vs Alexandro Santiago Targeted For Vacant WBC Title
Multi-divisional champion Nonito “Filipino Flash” Donaire (42-7, 28KO) and one-time super flyweight title challenger Alexandro “Peque” Santiago (27-3-5, 14KO) may compete for the vacant WBC bantamweight title.
According to ESPN Knockout, WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman stated Donaire and #6 rated Santiago will compete for the vacant title.
AN OPPORTUNITY ARISES
When former undisputed bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue vacated the titles, the four major sanctioning bodies hit the reset button by going through the rankings to start ordering fights.
The WBC originally ordered the Filipino Flash vs two-time title challenger Jason “Mayhem” Moloney. However, Donaire went on his show, “Beyond The Ring With Nonito and Rachel” revealing that Moloney’s promotional team in Top Rank decided to go the WBO route instead.
Switching gears, the WBC will clear the path for Donaire vs Santiago to take place by reshuffling the deck. #3 and #4 ranked contenders Nawaphon Kaikanha and Reymart Gaballo respectively, to fight in a title eliminator.
#5 rated former champion Emmanuel Rodriguez already has a date with destiny as the IBF ordered him to fight Vincent Astrolabio. 3kingsboxing.com first suggested this fight was a possibility following Inoue’s decision to vacate the titles.
RELATED: Emmanuel Rodriguez v Vincent Astrolabio IBF Title Fight Possible
WE AWAIT THE OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
Peque may be remembered by some fans for his thrilling battle against then-IBF super flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas. The fight ended with a controversial draw, with several pundits believing he should have won the title that night in 2018. The young Mexican is on a three-fight win streak since losing to Gary Antonio Russell in 2021.
At 40 years old, Donaire’s second half of his career has been nothing short of amazing. Despite losing the WBC title in a rematch against Inoue, he remains in the hunt for a title shot. However, boxing enthusiasts believe father time has finally caught up to the Filipino Flash, considering the punishment he took in the rematch.
Does Donaire have enough in the tank for one last push? Can Santiago finally seize the moment by winning the title? Until the fight is officially announced, all these questions will remain unanswered.
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