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Nonito Donaire plans to return on April 23 in Manila at 122 pounds

Fighters Network
04
Feb
Nonito Donaire (L) lands uppercut on Toshiaki Nishioka in 2012. Photo by Harry How/Getty Images.

Nonito Donaire (L) lands an uppercut on Toshiaki Nishioka in 2012. Photo by Harry How/Getty Images.

Four-division titleholder Nonito Donaire is scheduled to defend his WBO junior featherweight title against Zsolt Bedak on April 23 at the Araneta Coliseum in Manila, Top Rank’s Carl Moretti confirmed to RingTV.com on Thursday.

Donaire (36-3, 23 KOs) has won three straight since suffering a sixth-round knockout loss to Nicholas Walters in 2014 and moving down in weight to recalibrate his once star-studded career.

Donaire won the vacant 122-pound title in a grueling slugfest with Cesar Juarez in December in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Donaire was previously one of the leading lights of the sport before he was out-boxed by two-time Olympic-gold medalist Guillermo Rigondeaux, of Cuba, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City in 2013, costing him a pair of 122-pound titles along with the RING championship.



He then rose in weight, only to face a buzz-saw in Walters at featherweight before thinking better of it and dropping back down.

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