Seiya Tsutsumi retained his WBA bantamweight title with a split decision win over Nonito Donaire in Tokyo.
It was a genuinely competitive fight with the 29-year-old Tsutsumi (13-0-3, 8 KO) coming on strong in the second half against the 43-year-old Donaire (43-9, 28 KO), who still looked plenty capable this far into his remarkable, Hall of Fame-bound career.
Even with three losses in his last four, the “Filipino Flash” still looks like a contender at 118 lbs. The living legend will hang up the gloves
soon enough, but in the wake of Terence Crawford’s retirement, Donaire may yet fight into his 25th year as a pro in 2026.
Tsutsumi vs Donaire scorecards
Donaire won one card, 116-112, with Tsutsumi taking the other two, 115-113 and 117-111.
What’s next for Seiya Tsutsumi?
Tsutsumi will now be expected to face Antonio Vargas, as the WBA’s overly complicated title situation shakes out. The order had already been made coming into this fight for the victor to meet Vargas (19-1-1, 11 KO) within 120 days. The 29-year-old American had been the WBA’s world champion during Tsutsumi’s absence from the sport, but switched slots with champion-in-recess Tsutsumi ahead of this bout, with the guarantee that he’d meet the winner.
