2012 THE YEAR IN PHILIPPINE BOXING (PART II)
By Rene Bonsubre, Jr.
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 31 Dec 2012
History will remember the second half of the year for Nonito Donaire?s rise and Manny Pacquiao?s fall. Johnriel Casimero got his recognition as a regular world champion. Brian Viloria engaged Hernan Marquez in a ?Fight of the Year? candidate but would later be overshadowed by Pacquiao-Marquez IV.
2012 will also be remembered for another frustrating and futile Olympic year for the Philippines and the excuses, finger pointing and worn out suggestions that followed.
JULY 7 ? Nonito Donaire W UD 12 Jeffrey Mathebula , unifies WBO and IBF world super bantamweight titles in Carson, California.
JULY 8 ? Sylvester Lopez loses by unanimous decision to WBC superflyweight champion Yota Sato in Yokohama, Japan.
JULY 16 ? Sonny Boy Jaro loses WBC flyweight title in Japan by split decision to Toshiyuki Igarashi in Saitama. Michael Fare?as vs WBA superfeatherweight champion Takashi Uchiyama ends in technical draw.
JULY 19 ? IBF recognizes Johnriel Casimero as the regular world junior flyweight champion
AUGUST 4 ? ZERO IN LONDON - The Philippines? lone entry in Olympic boxing, Mark Anthony Barriga loses to Kazakhtan?s Birzhan Zhakypov after being deducted two points in the third and final round.
AUGUST 5 ? Johnriel Casimero W SD 12 Pedro Guevara, retains IBF jr.flyweight world title in Mazatlan, Mexico.
AUGUST 17 - Congressman Emmanuel Pacquiao of Sarangani files bill creating the Philippine Boxing Commission which would give benefits to professional boxers; gets support from Sen. Koko Pimentel.
SEPTEMBER 18 ? Roli Gasca L UD12 Alexander Bakhtin, vacant IBO superbantamweight title, Moscow, Russia
SEPTEMBER 22 ? Rodel Mayol loses to IBF super flyweight champion Juan Carlos Sanchez by 9th round KO in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico.
SEPTEMBER 22 ? Florante Condes L UD12 Hekkie Budler, IBO minimumweight title, Kempton Park, South Africa.
SEPTEMBER 25 ? Pacquiao drops defamation lawsuit against Floyd Mayweather, out of court settlement reached.
OCTOBER 2 - Congressman Manny Pacquiao files bid for re-election. Wife Jinkee Pacquiao files candidacy for vice governor of Sarangani.
OCTOBER 13 ? Nonito Donaire W TKO 9 Toshiaki Nishioka, retains WBO super bantam title, wins vacant Ring magazine linear title and WBC Diamond belt in Carson, California. Donaire gives up IBF belt.
OCTOBER 13 - Mateo Handig earns IBF minimumweight number one contender status after upsetting former world titlist Katsunari Takayama of Japan by split decision in Benguet.
OCTOBER 20 ? AJ Banal loses to Pungluang Sor Singyu of Thailand by 9th round TKO for the vacant WBO bantamweight world title at the Mall of Asia Arena,Pasay City
NOVEMBER 1 ? LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE FOR PONGSAKLEK - Rey Migreno TKO 3 Pongsaklek Wonjongkam in Thailand.
NOVEMBER 3 - John Mark Apolinario D 12 Roberto Vasquez in a WBA Interim bantamweight title fight held in Argentina
NOVEMBER 10 ? Edrin Dapudong L SD 12 Gideon Buthelezi, vacant IBO superflyweight title fight in South Africa
NOVEMBER 16 - Department of Justice dismisses the tax case filed by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) against Manny Pacquiao.
NOVEMBER 17 ? Donnie Nietes KO 5 Danai Meendaeng in a non-title bout held in Dumaguete City.
NOVEMBER 17 ? Brian Viloria TKO 10 Hernan ?Tyson? Marquez, unifies WBO and WBA flyweight titles in Los Angeles
DECEMBER 2 ? Gretchen Abaniel W TKO 4 Modthanoi Sithsaithong, wins vacant WIBA minimumweight title in Makati City.
DECEMBER 8 ? MEXICAN VENDETTA - Juan Manuel Marquez KO 6 Manny Pacquiao, Las Vegas, Nevada. After three close and controversial contests, Marquez scores an emphatic win that sent shockwaves throughout the boxing world.
Two Filipinos suffer defeats on the undercards: Mercito Gesta L UD 12 Miguel Vasquez IBF lightweight title bout, Michael Fare?as L UD 12 Yuriorkis Gamboa WBA interim superfeatherweight title.
DECEMBER 15 ? PINOY RESBAK - Nonito Donaire KO 3 Jorge Arce, retains WBO superbantamweight title in Houston, Texas.
DECEMBER 26 ? WBC PLAYS GRINCH ? Number one ranked strawweight contender Denver Cuello and Promoter Aljoe Jaro seek legal action against the World Boxing Council for stalling Cuello?s title challenge against the WBC 105 lb division champion Xiong Zhao Zhong of China.
LOOKING AHEAD:
Malcolm Tu?acao earned a shot at the WBC bantamweight title after an impressive showing against Christian Esquivel of Mexico last December 22 in Japan. We continue to wait or wonder if Denver Cuello will get his long awaited shot at the WBC strawweight title. Casimero and Nietes are scheduled for title defences. Will there be an all-Pinoy battle between Brian Viloria and Milan Melindo?
Filipino boxers continue to flex their muscles at the regional level; Rocky Fuentes and Arthur Villanueva scored back to back OPBF victories in Japan during the third week of December. Ryan Rey Ponteras upset Rusalee Samor and won the IBF Pan Pacific title in Thailand. We expect more regional victories in 2013.
Fuentes is also ripe for a world title shot. Will he get one next year?
Most if not all boxing pundits have Donaire?s name on the short list for ?Fighter of the Year?. Pacquiao?s next ring appearance will surely grab headlines.
The Mayan ?Doomsday? prediction turned out to be a dud but the thousands of Filipinos continue to suffer after being hit by devastating typhoons. The Filipino people have shown resilience through the centuries. Philippine boxing will likewise endure.
PHOTO ? Top L to R ? Manny Pacquiao,Nonito Donaire,Johnriel Casimero, Bottom L to R ? Donnie Nietes, Brian Viloria, Gretchen Abaniel
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rene Bonsubre, Jr..
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Herlan Gomez, Jason Moloney Make Weight for WBC Australasia Bantamweight Battle in Australia
By Carlos Costa, Fri, 05 Dec 2025OLYMPIC BOXING 5: 1928 OLYMPICS AT AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS
By Maloney L. Samaco, Fri, 05 Dec 2025MONTE-CARLO SHOWDOWN VI PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES
Fri, 05 Dec 2025Class of 2026 Announced in Canastota
Fri, 05 Dec 2025Thailand’s Niyomtrong “Knockout CPF” Decisions Junior Zárate, Becomes World Champion Again
By Carlos Costa, Fri, 05 Dec 2025WORLD RANKED FILIPINO BOXERS AS OF DECEMBER 2025 BY THE RING, WBC, WBA, IBF, AND WBO
By Maloney L. Samaco, Fri, 05 Dec 2025Shinard Bunch Takes on John Paul Magalong on Tuesday, January 13th at The UFC Gym North Brunswick in North Brunswick, NJ
Fri, 05 Dec 2025Severino and Mendoza win Blitz Asian Chess Championship for Players with Disabilities
By Marlon Bernardino, Fri, 05 Dec 2025Herlan Gomez Departs for Australia for Moloney Fight Saturday on DAZN
By Carlos Costa, Thu, 04 Dec 2025KENNETH LLOVER DEFENDS OPBF TITLE IN FOURTH FIGHT OF 2025
Thu, 04 Dec 2025Canoy, Mama, Into Contend in IBA Men’s World Boxing Championships in Dubai
By Lito delos Reyes, Thu, 04 Dec 2025CHAMPIONING MENTAL HEALTH 2: REMATCH SEASON FULL FIGHT CARD SET
Thu, 04 Dec 2025MERRY FISTMAS! World-Ranked KO Artist Ramon Cardenas Faces Erik Robles in ProBoxTV Main Event at War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale, Thursday, December 18
Thu, 04 Dec 2025THE PAST WEEK IN ACTION 2 DECEMBER 2025: Kavaliauskas Wins by Split Decision Over Molina; Whittaker Stops Gavazi in 1; Malajika Wins by UD Over Paras
By Eric Armit, Wed, 03 Dec 2025WBC Strips Terence Crawford of Super Middle Title
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Wed, 03 Dec 2025