Donaire suffers TKO loss in world title eliminator

MANILA, Philippines – The time has come for Nonito Donaire to ponder on his ring career.

Constantly beaten to the punch by the young and strong Riku Masuda, the 43-year-old Donaire lost by technical knockout after his corner threw in the towel in the eighth round of their World Boxing Association bantamweight title eliminator in Yokohama, Japan, on Sunday, March 15.

Knocked down in the seventh round but saved by the bell, Donaire got tagged by hard punches in the face again in the fateful eighth round.

An accidental headbutt in the fifth round caused a bloody cut that hampered Donaire’s vision, allowing Masuda to sneak in punches and dictate the tempo of the fight for the right to challenge WBA champion Seiya Tsutsumi.

Donaire, a multiple-time world champion and future Hall of Famer, suffered his fourth loss in his last five fights, dropping to 43-10 with 28 knockouts, indicating declining speed and slower reflexes.

Masuda, in his prime at 28, climbed to 10-1 with nine knockouts, the lone loss coming at the hands of Tsutsumi, who beat Donaire by split decision in December 2025. – Rappler.com