By Chris Williams: 36-year-old former WBC super bantamweight champion Toshiaki Nishioka (39-5-3, 24 KO’s) has reportedly retired today and hung up his boxing gloves for good after 18 years as a pro. Nishioka, who WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire said was the best fighter at 122, was knocked out in his last fight by Donaire in the 9th round.

Nishioka said to AFP at Newsasiaone.com “I have done what I should do. I am fully satisfied with my boxing career.”

Nishioka held the World Boxing Council super bantamweight title from 2008 until vacating it this year. Nishioka was then installed as the WBC emeritus champion.

Despite retiring, Nishioka said that he felt he could become super bantamweight champion now if it didn’t involve having to fight Donaire for a title. However, that doesn’t seem to believable because Nishioka’s performance against Donaire and his less than impressive win over a shot Rafael Marquez last October tells me that Nishioka would be dominated if he fought WBA super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux and I can’t see Nishioka having any luck whatsoever against WBC champion Abner Mares either. I don’t think Nishioka could beat even Jeffrey Mathebula at this point. I think would be a mismatch, I really do.

I never understood where Nishioka was driving at when he said that Nishioka was the best fighter in the division. I do agree that Nishioka was the best before Rigondeaux, Donaire, Wilfredo Vazquez, and Mathebula were up to speed in the division, but I don’t buy for a second that Nishioka was the best fighter in the division like Donaire claims he was when he chose to fight him instead of Mares or Rigondeaux. Nishioka was a decent fighter when Donaire fought him, but I not in the class of Mares or Rigondeaux.

I just hope Donaire doesn’t start claiming that his December 15th opponent Jorge Arce is the best fighter in the super bantamweight division because I think boxing fans will get the impression that Donaire is just trying to pump up whoever he faces to get boxing fans on board with his fights instead of going after the two best fighters at 122 in Rigondeaux and Mares.

Nishioka’s best wins of his career came against Rafael Marquez, who was best his best at the time Nishioka fought him, and an unproven Rendall Munroe.