Donaire battles Chilean in WBA title duel

Nonito Donaire returns to the ring after almost a two-year absence against Chilean Andres Campos today in Argentina.

The winner will be proclaimed the interim World Boxing Association (WBA) bantamweight champion and gets a shot at the survivor of the 30 July showdown between regular champion Antonio Vargas of the United States and Daigo Higa of Japan.

The headliner of the WBA’s anti-drugs program, the Donaire-Campos clash takes place at Casino Buenos Aires in the Argentina capital.

During the official weighin, Donaire came in at 117.9 pounds while Campos stepped in at the division limit of 118 pounds.

Last time he was in the ring, Donaire blew a chance to win the World Boxing Council 118-pound title after losing to Alejandro Santiago in Las Vegas.

Ringsiders believe that Donaire has a strong chance of staging a rousing comeback given Campos’ caliber.

The 28-year-old Campos has never fought at the top level despite his being selected to dispute the interim belt.

Still, the Filipino-American four-division champion has to be in shape given his advanced age.

Campos has a 17-2-1 win-loss-draw mark with just six knockouts.

Donaire, in contrast, has a sparkling 42-8-0 slate with 28 knockouts.