DONAIRE IS NAMED ?FIGHTER OF THE YEAR? BY BOXING WRITERS ASSN. OF AMERICA
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 28 Jan 2013
Nonito ?The Filipino Flash? Donaire, the reigning WBO/Ring Magazine and WBC Diamond Belt super bantamweight champion has been named ?Fighter of the Year? by the prestigious Boxing Writers Association of America headed by its president Jack Hirsch.
The ?Fight of the Year? award went to the Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez fourth showdown at the MGM Grand Garden Arena last December 8.
There?s no word as yet on the date and venue for the awards ceremony.
Marquez, his nose broken and face bloodied appeared on the verge of being knocked out when he nailed Pacquiao with a short, crunching right hand that sent Pacquiao crashing to the canvas face down and out cold.
The spectacular and stunning ending helped the Pacquiao-Marquez fight beat the October 13 slugfest between Brandon ?Bam Bam? Rios and Mile Alvarado for ?Fight of the Year? honors where the flyweight unification bout in which WBO champion Brian Viloria scored a spectacular 10th round TKO over Mexico?s WBA champion Hernan ?Tyson? Marquez last August 17 was also in contention.
Donaire who won the WBO 122 pound title with acomfortable win over Wilfredo Vazquez Jr of Puerto Rico at the Alamadome in San Antonio, Texas last February successfully defended the title three times beating IBF champiin Jeffrey Mathebula of South Africa and breaking his jaw in two places before scoring a 9th round TKO over Japan?s WBC super champion Toshiaki Nishioka and then dropping Mexico?s four division champion Jorge ?Travieso? Arce three times en route to a 3rd round knockout.
Also in the running for the accolade were Viloria, WBC/WBA super lightweight champion Danny Garcia, WBC welterweight champion Robert ?The Ghost? Guerrero and WBO junior welterweight champion Marquez.
Donaire told the Manila Standard he was ?deeply honored and humbled by the award? and thanked the Boxing Writers Association of America for the award which touched him at a significant moment in his career and his life.
Donaire and his wife Rachel are expecting their first child in June.
Donaire?s countryman and eight division world champion Manny Pacquiao had won the ?Fighter of the Year? award three times in 2006, 2008 and 2009.
The award is named after one of the all-time greats, Sugar Ray Robinson.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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