The Filipino Flash Nonito Donaire Jr. was hailed as the 2012 "Boxer of the Year" by ESPN.com. The "Boxer of the Year" title was previously held by Andre Ward and has been won three times by People's Champ Manny Pacquiao (2006, 2008 and 2009).
"It might sound strange, but no, Manny Pacquiao was not the best fighter from the Philippines in 2012,” wrote ESPN’s Dan Rafael. "That honor goes to 'The Filipino Flash,' junior featherweight titlist Nonito Donaire, who had a year for the ages."
Rafael said that Donaire has been an easy pick as ESPN's 2012 "Boxer of the Year," having won with great fashion four of his fights this year.
In July, Donaire knocked off the IBF belt holder, Jeffrey Mathebula at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California, the same venue when he stopped Japanese Toshiaki Nishioka via a round 9 TKO in October, successfully defending his IBF and WBO super bantamweight belts.
Nonito Donaire put an exclamation point to his credentials this year after knocking out Jorge Arce in third round in their December 15 fight at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
Nonito Donaire was also commended for being the first and only boxer in the world to undergo random drug testing with the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association on a year-round basis.
Donaire edged out Mexican boxer Juan Manuel Marquez (who floored Pacquiao a week before Donaire knocked out Arce) as "Boxer of the Year." Nonito also beat other contenders for the award which include fellow Pinoy Brian Villoria, Danny Garcia, Robert Guerrero, Leo Santa Cruz, Andre Ward and Carl Froch.
