MASAM SPORTS 1: NONITO DONAIRE JR. STILL STRONG AT 39, BEING PBC FIGHTER OF THE YEAR 2021
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 04 Jan 2022
The award may not be as prestigious as the Fighter of the Year 2012 Nonito Donaire Jr. received from the well-esteemed Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) recognition following four impressive victories over Puerto Rico's Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. by SD12, South Africa's Jeffrey Mathebula by UD12, Japan's Toshiaki Nishioka byTKO9, and Mexico's Jorge Arce by KO3.
But the 2021 Fighter of the Year award given by Premier Boxing Champions, a United States-based television series showing very popular boxing events all over the world, manifests the never-ending splendid feats attained by the "Filipino Flash" and a solid proof that in the sport where age really matters, age doesn't really matter for him.
The 39-year-old four-weight world champion Donaire received 47% of the total votes to get better of famous fighters like the unified WBO and WBC super bantamweight champion Stephen Fulton, Jr., WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis, and former two-time WBC super middleweight David Benavidez.
The PBC Twitter post:
"With a combined 47.6% of the votes from our Twitter and YouTube polls, YOUR choice for the #BestOfPBC2021 FIGHTER OF THE YEAR is... WBC World Bantamweight Champion @filipinoflash!"
— Premier Boxing Champions (@premierboxing) December 31, 2021
His excellent master stroke is becoming the oldest world bantamweight champion after knocking out French boxer Nordine Oubaali in four rounds last May 29 to seize the WBC title belt.
Donaire hit Oubaali with a hook-straight-uppercut combination punctuated by a strong left which downed the French fighter for the third time with the referee waving off the fight. The official time was 1:52 in the fourth round.
He successfully defended his WBC bantamweight title last December 12 against compatriot Reymart Gaballo, who is 14 years younger and who idolized him so much. He gave the challenger his first career loss after four rounds via knockout.
Donaire landed an well-timed thundering left hook to the liver of Gaballo (24-1, 20 KOs) in the fourth round. Gaballo took a knee and got up before the count of ten but was weak enough to again fall on his knee when he tried to stand up and referee Ray Corona stopped the fight with one second left in the round.
Donaire had some controversies in the past year with fellow Filipino WBO world bantamweight champion John Riel Casimero and their unification fight was cancelled in August. Donaire accused Casimero of including his wife in the conflict and the Ormoc City native's distress on drug testing.
The Talibon, Bohol born world champion now has a professional record of 42-6 with 28 knockouts. His only KO defeat was dealt by Jamaica's Nicholas Walters on October 18, 2014. He is targeting a rematch with unified WBA and IBF bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue of Japan this year 2022.
Donaire lost to Inoue by unanimous decision in their first encounter on November 7, 2019 at the Super Arena, Saitama, Japan for the World Boxing Super Series bantamweight final, with their bout winning the Ring Magazine Fight of the Year 2019 award.
"That’s what I wanted to win this fight, because that’s my next goal,” he said. “The only thing I haven’t done in boxing is become undisputed, and the next phase is getting the rematch.”
Donaire said he owed a lot to the great talent of his wife Rachel as a trainer, coach and manager. "Our tandem is really great, and that’s something I didn’t have in the fight with Inoue. That’s something that will be a key factor this time around,” Donaire was quoted by Boxing Scene.
“I don’t even look at the age. The guys I’m sparring with are younger than me and I’m doing a pretty good job with them,” Donaire added. “I don’t see age. If I crack you with one punch and it’s gonna hit. I don’t care if I’m 50 years old. You’re going down.”
The power of "The Filipino Flash" remains as fast and as fierce regardless of his age.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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