For a job well done in 2012, Nonito “The Filipino Flash”

Donaire Jr. is reaping recognition faster than a speeding bullet. Just about every respected sports organization/publication is bestowing on the World Boxing Organization (WBO) super bantamweight (122 pounds) champion the ultimate honor of Fighter of the Year.

ESPN, CNN and The Ring magazine have all picked Donaire as the best pugilist for the year just passed. The Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA), established in 1926, recently nominated Donaire for its version of the award, along with Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez, WBA-WBC super lightweight champion Danny “Swift” Garcia, interim WBC welterweight titlist Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero and WBO-WBA flyweight king Brian Viloria.

Donaire is this writer’s clear choice as Fighter of the Year, with honorable mention going to Garcia, Marquez, and Viloria. Donaire fought four times last year, a rarity these days. All four of Donaire’s adversaries were either incumbent or former world champions who sported a combined win-loss ledger of 147-14. Despite nursing a fragile left hand all year long, Donaire beat up every opponent fed to him. In February, he knocked down Puerto Rican Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. in the ninth round and collared the WBO super bantamweight title with a decision win. In July, Donaire knocked down South African Jeffrey Mathebula and broke the latter’s jaw en route to a lopsided points victory for the combined WBO-IBF super bantam crown. In October, Donaire relinquished the IBF crown but added the ornamental WBC Diamond belt to his trophy case by stopping former champion Toshiaki Nishioka of Japan in 9 rounds. Donaire, 31-1 with 20 knockouts, capped a magnificent year by knocking the daylights out of Mexican Jorge Arce in three rounds in December. So badly beaten was Arce that he announced his retirement after the bout.

He is fast, with power in both hands. He can box you from the outside and punish you when you come to fight,” wrote Sports Illustrated. ESPN, for its part, noted how Donaire easily handled the move up in weight and won all four of his fights in convincing fashion. “He dropped each of his foes—scoring seven knockdowns in all—won twice by knockout and collected two world titles,” reported ESPN.

Followers of The Ring maga-zine, through its official website RingTV.com, overwhelmingly picked Donaire as their Fighter of the Year. Donaire garnered 55.2 percent of the votes, beating his closest pursuer Marquez who collected only 27.3 percent of the votes. The Ring took exception of Donaire’s heavy workload during the year and the impressive results he turned in.

What makes Donaire’s feat all the more impressive is his no-nonsense commitment to “clean” fighting. In August, Donaire officially subjected himself to the year-round, random drug testing that is being conducted by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA). Donaire is the only high-profile boxer in the world who has signed on with VADA for random urine and blood testing 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Donaire’s unprecedented move came on the heels of several boxers (Andre Berto, Lamont Peterson and Erik Morales, to mention a few) testing positive for performance enhancing drugs.

Mexican Marquez, 55-6 with 40 knockouts, carved out the most dramatic and emphatic victory of the year when he stopped rival Manny Pacquiao in 6 rounds in December. Marquez, however, fought only twice during the year and amid the lingering suspicion surrounding his bulked up frame in the Pacquiao fight, Donaire undeniably beats the former in the race for the plum.

American Garcia, 25-0 with 16 knockouts, registered 3 wins in 2012, the most impressive being his fourth round stoppage of Amir Khan which unified the WBC-WBA super lightweight (140 pounds) diadems. However, two of Garcia’s victories came against a terribly washed up Erik “El Terrible” Morales. Garcia, 24, remains an untested hush puppy, but he is expected to contend for major honors this year.

Filipino-American Viloria, 32-3 with 19 knockouts, unified the WBO and WBA flyweight (112 pounds) titles and provided the sport with one its most electrifying fights when he knocked out Mexican Hernan “Tyson” Marquez in 10 rounds on November 18. It should be pointed out though that Viloria survived several shaky moments against Marquez before pulling through whereas Donaire dominated each of his fight.

Indeed, Donaire never had it so good in 2012. What he will do for an encore this year will be worth watching.

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