Still, even the most routine fight week exchange can take an unexpected turn.
Advertisement
On the Monday before his final return to the ring, a simple slip proved surprisingly revealing. When asked (incorrectly) how his body was doing at age 53, Donaire did not immediately correct the question. Instead, he relied on accidental prophecy.
“Hey, don’t be surprised if are having the same talk in ten years,” Donaire said with a smile in front of the camera.
For the record, the future Hall of Famer turned 43 last November. But he is convinced that the engine continues to run very well.
“Because, to be honest, I feel amazing right now,” he added. “My body, my mind, everything.”
Advertisement
Donaire (43-9, 28 KOs) returns to action Sunday in Yokohama, Japan, where he takes on Riku Masuda (9-1, 8 KOs) at bantamweight on the undercard of the U-Next Boxing 5 card, headlined by Anthony Olascuaga’s WBO flyweight title defense against Jukiya Iimura.
The veteran looks to stop a losing streak that has seen him lose three of his last four bouts in the 118-pound division and, in the process, maneuver his way back into title contention in the division he ruled more than a decade ago.
“The mind is a very powerful thing,” he continues. “If you point that in the right direction, then everything else can follow. I still have a lot of speed, a lot of power and everything works as it should, so why shouldn’t it continue?”
(KAZUHIRO NOGI via Getty Images)
Donaire preempts the narrative around which this conversation is framed. He’s already used to it. After all, you don’t rack up 52 fights in 25 years and suffer nine losses without facing a question about possible retirement.
Advertisement
“Fighting gives me focus, something to get up in the morning for,” Donaire said. “It keeps me motivated, and this is very important to me. It is a passion and it keeps me healthy, energetic and young at heart. Boxing keeps me alive. My heart, body, mind and soul are still very involved in the sport, and it still makes me feel amazing every time I fight or train.
“I think this is very important. I’m not stagnant at all; I still enjoy learning about the sport and trying to improve. So who’s to say how long this can last?”
Donaire explains that the thought of retiring doesn’t scare him, but complacency or his body slowing down does. “When you feel comfortable you start to fall behind, that is the biggest cause of death for athletes, since it takes all of you
“I know I can be greater than. And that feeling is so addictive. “I’m challenging myself against these younger guys in sparring and beating them.”
Advertisement
If Donaire wants to be better than his current record, then he has a big hill to climb, and that’s a compliment. The “Filipino Flash” has won world titles in four different divisions, including flyweight, bantamweight, super bantamweight and featherweight, but the only thing missing from his resume is to become “undisputed.”
“I became Fighter of the Year, multiple world weight champion, multiple unified world champion, even the Good Guy Award (you name it, I won it), but the indisputable has always eluded me,” he said.
“I don’t think this current generation of bantamweight champions are great; they’re fine,” he continues. “So for me, I see it as a great opportunity to achieve this dream of being undisputed. Of course, I’m not taking anything or anyone lightly, but I feel like the division was much stronger a decade ago when I dominated.
“Sure, this current generation is getting better and they’re all champions in their own right, but I think I beat the best of them all, Seiya Tsutsumi, last year. So what does that say?”
Advertisement
Last December, Donaire challenged Tsutsumi (13-0-3, 8 KOs) for the WBA bantamweight title in Tokyo, pushing the younger champion in a competitive 12-round fight, ultimately losing in a disputed split decision by scores of 115-113, 117-111, 112-116. Tsutsumi is still recovering from injuries sustained in the fight.
“I know I can beat him (Tsutsumi) next time because of what I learned in our first match,” he adds. “Whether he will still be champion when our paths meet again, who knows, but that fight has made me believe more than ever that I belong at the top of this division.”
But first in Donaire’s way is 28-year-old southpaw Riku Masuda, who first caught the attention of boxing fans in February 2024 when he crushed former world title challenger Jonas Sultan inside one round at Tokyo’s Ryogoku Kokugikan.
Advertisement
A perfectly placed left hand to the body had Sultan collapsing in agony, the referee waving it off with about 50 seconds left in the first stanza. Since then, Masuda has gone 5-0 en route to a meeting with Donaire in this WBA world title eliminator, catching the Filipino’s attention in the process.
“He (Masuda) has great balance and has the ability to fight very aggressively or box as instructed,” explains Donaire. “But he relies a lot on one hit. We have the perfect game plan to nullify this and make the most of it.”
If becoming undisputed tops the list of Donaire’s remaining achievements in the sport, fighting again in the Philippines is not far behind. He has only played five times as a professional in his homeland and has held tentative talks about returning soon.
But for now, a training camp inside the Omega Boxing Gym, Cebu, is the closest he will get to fighting in front of his Filipino family, as Japan usually offers the biggest opportunities in the lower weight classes.
Advertisement
Currently, the focus is on Yokohama, Masuda and another chapter in a career that refuses to slow down. And if history has taught us anything, it is that Nonito Donaire does not measure success by age or setbacks: he measures it by unfinished business.
And who better to know when the deal is done or not than the man himself?