Nonito Donaire will look to make bantamweight history on December 17 when he faces unbeaten WBA champion Seiya Tsutsumi in the main event of Teiken Promotions’ title tripleheader in Tokyo. At 42 years old, Donaire has the chance to become the oldest bantamweight champion in boxing history.
The matchup comes after a turbulent year for the division. Tsutsumi (12-0-3, 8 KOs) won the belt from Takuma Inoue and retained it in a draw with Daigo Higa, only to be named champion in recess due to injury. That elevated interim titlist Antonio Vargas to full champion — but Vargas withdrew from a planned consolidation bout with Tsutsumi and Higa following the passing of his mother. As a result, Donaire (43-8, 28 KOs), the long-reigning star and current interim champion, received the call for the December showcase.
The card also features a compelling unification fight at light flyweight. WBA titleholder Kyosuke Takami (10-0, 8 KOs), one of Japan’s fastest-rising talents, will meet WBO champion Rene Santiago (14-4, 9 KOs). Takami enters the bout on the strength of dominant wins over Toshiki Kawamitsu and Erick Rosa, while Santiago arrives with renewed momentum after upsetting Shokichi Iwata in March.
Opening the event is a WBO flyweight title defense from Anthony Olascuaga (10-1, 7 KOs), who returns to Japan to face OPBF champion Jukiya Iimura (9-1, 2 KOs). Olascuaga is coming off a strong year that included a narrow win over Hiroto Kyoguchi and a knockout of Juan Carlos Camacho-Rivera. Iimura, meanwhile, has strung together six straight victories, including an avenged loss to Esneth Domingo.
Fight card:
▪️Seiya Tsutsumi vs. Nonito Donaire, 12 rounds, bantamweight
▪️Kyosuke Takami vs. Rene Santiago, 12 rounds, for the WBO World light flyweight title
▪️Anthony Olascuaga vs. Taku Kuwahara, 12 rounds, for the WBO World flyweight title
▪️Seigo Yuri Akui vs. Vencent Lacar, 8 rounds, super flyweight
▪️Tsuyoshi Nishimoto vs. Yu Ezaki, 4 rounds, super bantamweight
