Nonito Donaire is Ring Magazine's 2012 'Fighter of the Year'

Four-division world champion Nonito Donaire Jr. is voted as The RING Magazine’s 2012 Fighter of the  Year. The Filipino Flash's impressive wins this year sealed for him one of boxing's most-coveted titles.

The award is another feather to Nonito Donaire's cap as he was also hailed ESPN's "Boxer of the Year" a few days ago.

Nonito Donaire (31-1, 20 knockouts) garnered 55.2% of the votes in RingTV.com's year-end poll to capture a landslide win over closest competitor to the title, Juan Manuel Marquez, who received only 27.3% of the votes.

Ring Magazine editor Doug Fischer said that Marquez may have scored the Knockout of the Year in the Fight of the Year by icing his arch rival Manny Pacquiao in the sixth round, but fight fans recognized Donaire accomplishing more than the Mexican legend inside and outside the ring.

Among those elite fighters – those precious few who fans and boxing media view as the pound-for-pound best, seldom fight more than twice a year – Donaire was the busiest this year.

"The 30-year-old veteran fought four times in 2012 and in the process of doing so the former flyweight and bantamweight titleholder established himself as the best 122-pound fighter on the planet, as well as the Fighter of the Year in the eyes of the fans who took part in RingTV.com’s year-end awards poll," Fischer reported.

Just like ESPN's Dan Rafael, Fischer also commended Donaire for being the only high-profile professional boxer who is willing to commit to comprehensive year-round drug testing conducted by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA).

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Nonito Donaire Hailed ESPN "Boxer of the Year"

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 February, "The Filipino Flash" moved up to the 122-pound division and captured the vacant WBO super bantamweight title by beating Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. by split decision at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

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.

Photo courtesy of Inquirer Sports

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