By Jake Donovan

Nonito Donaire once talked about fighting as high up the scale as the super lightweight (140 lb.) division, but has dramatically reversed course in his stellar career. The former four-division titlist has decided—following a shaky three-fight campaign at featherweight—to drop back down in weight and campaign in the 122 lb. division.

His plans were confirmed by manager Cameron Dunkin a few weeks ago to BoxingScene.com's Steve Kim. The idea is to return to a division he previously ruled, with the belief that he can once again rise to the top.

Dunkin admitted to BoxingScene.com at the time that the immediate future called for a slow road back, not wanting "to fight any killers" while getting reacclimated to the weight.

However, a separate interview with ESPN.com's Dan Rafael has the Donaire team singing a different tune these days. 

“[Donaire] knows he can’t fight at that weight [126 pounds]. He can beat a lot of featherweights, don’t get me wrong. But he’s used to beating everyone and being the best. He’s going back to 122 where he can do that,” Dunkin recently told ESPN. 

There’s only one problem with that suggestion: the fighter who dethroned Nonito Donaire at 122 lb., Guillermo Rigondeaux remains atop the division. The supremely gifted boxer from Cuba—who now calls Miami home—served up a boxing lesson to the defending champ and 2012 Fighter of the Year in their April ’13 clash in New York City, settling for a close-but-clear unanimous decision to start his reign which is now approaching two full years.

“We were interested in this fight when Donaire came up to 122lb from 118lb as we saw this as a fight which would capture the imagination of the world,” said Gary Hyde, Rigondeaux’ longtime manager. “It did just that and Rigo showed his amazing skills and ability by taking Donaire to school.”

To his credit, Donaire was adamant about securing a rematch with the first man to hang a loss on his career since his 2nd pro fight, but was overruled by his handlers, specifically promoter Bob Arum.

The objection was met with Plan B, where Donaire moved up to the featherweight division. The Fil-Am star struggled in his first fight at the new weight, having to come-from-behind to knock out faded Vic Darchinyan in the 9th round of their rematch in Nov. ’13.

Six months later, Donaire collected a major title in a fourth weight class, scoring a technical decision over Simpiwe Vetyeka. The title stay was short-lived, as he was knocked out by unbeaten powerpuncher Nicholas Walters in the 6th round of their slugfest last October.

Meanwhile, Rigondeaux continues to man the throne at 122 lb., with no plans of moving up in weight any time soon.  Given the aftermath of their first fight, the undefeated southpaw and his team were thrown off when hearing of the future plans of a past victim.

“Donaire never gave Rigo the respect he earned after their fight and said, “Oh, I had trouble making 122.” Now he is coming back down,” points out a surprised Hyde. “Rigo is right; Donaire is delusional after the beating he gave him.”

There are other matchups await any divisional hopeful in the form of title fights with the likes of Leo Santa Cruz, Carl Frampton and Scott Quigg. A grand total of none of those bouts are guaranteed to be at Donaire’s disposal given geography, economics and the politics of the sport. Nor would any of those fights replace Rigondeaux at the division’s top spot.

That would leave a rematch with Rigondeaux as the only realistic option to fit in with his plans of reclaiming super bantamweight supremacy. Such a fight would require his convincing Dunkin and Arum, neither of whom have expressed any interest in going down that road.

Top Rank was so disinterested in remaining involved in Rigondeaux’ career that the two sides parted ways after their promotional agreement expired last summer.

Still, Donaire would have to fight somebody upon his return to super bantamweight. Short of any of the other titlists willing to take a road trip to Macau—which Rigondeaux has done, in addition to fighting in Japan this past New Year’s Eve—revisiting past business might be the only move that makes sense given his aspirations.

“Rigo is the best 122lb fighter in the world right now and has absolutely nothing to prove by fighting Donaire again,” Hyde points out, though not dismissing the possibility of a second fight. “However, if Donaire wants another career-destroying beating, he can sweet talk in Bob Arum’s ear and maybe just maybe we can have Rigondeaux-Donaire II.”

Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene.com, as well as a member of Transnational Boxing Ratings Board and the Boxing Writers Association of America. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox