THE World Boxing Council has approved a title clash between veteran Nonito Donaire Jr. and Mexican Alejandro Santiago for the vacant World Boxing Council bantamweight title.
Boxing writer Patrick Stumberg of the website badlefthook.com reported yesterday that WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman told ESPN Knockout that the Mexico-based world ring body has given the go-signal for the Donaire-Santiago title match.
Stumberg also reported that the winner of the championship bout will face the victor of the fight between Filipino Reymart Gaballo and Thailand’s Nawaphon Kaikanha, who will tangle in a WBC eliminator, in a mandatory title defense.
The story did not say when and where the WBC bantamweight title match between Donaire and Santiago would be staged.
The latest development in the bid of Donaire, 40, to become the oldest world bantamweight champ occurred after No. 1 Australian contender Jason Moloney decided to pursue the vacant WBO bantamweight strap since he is also the top-ranked challenger in the same division by the Puerto Rico-based organization.
Donaire, the WBC No. 2 contender, declined to step aside so Moloney could explore other potential foes in the division that underwent a shakeup when unified world bantamweight kingpin Naoya Inoue of Japan decided to go up to the junior featherweight ranks.
This left the World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation without a reigning champion.
“With No. 3 Nawaphon and No. 4 Gaballo occupied and No. 5 Emmanuel Rodriguez going the IBF route, that left No. 6 Santiago next in line,” the story reported.
With a record of 27 wins, 14 by knockout, three losses and five draws, Santiago, 27, is considered a “young veteran” by Stumberg.
The Mexican has won his last three fights. He forced American Antonio Nievest to retire in the seventh round in his latest fight last Oct. 10 at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, California.
The last fight of Donaire, who has 42 wins (28 KOs) and seven losses, resulted in a second-round technical knockout win for the unbeaten Inoue in a rematch between the two fighters held on June 6, 2022 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan for the unified world bantamweight crown.
