IT WAS a successful return for five-division world champion Nonito “Filipino Flash” Donaire Jr. after scoring a bizarre fourth-round victory to dethrone British World Boxing Association (WBA) super world bantamweight champion Ryan Burnett and win the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) Diamond bantamweight title in the World Boxing Super Series quarterfinals in Glasgow, Scotland, yesterday.
Burnett actually surrendered before the fifth round started after an apparent hip injury he suffered during the fourth round.
The 26-year-old Burnett wasn’t able to stand from his stool before the fifth round started, giving Donaire two titles and the rights to fight African World Boxing Organization (WBO) world bantamweight champion Zolani Tete (28-3-0,21KOs) in the World Boxing Super Series’ semifinal round in the bantamweight division next year.
Burnett suffered his first defeat in 20 bouts.
Although the fight was very anticlimactic due to Burnett’s untimely injury in the middle of the fight, it was a fitting comeback for the 35-year-old Donaire, who recently lost to another British world champion, Carl Frampton, for the interim WBO world featherweight title last April in Belfast, Ireland. This forced him to go back in the lighter bantamweight division.
Donaire improved his record to 39 wins and five losses. He has 25 wins by knockouts.