Boxing's top 5 in pound for pound list - news updates, pictures and videos

Full Name: Nonito Donaire Jr.

Nickname: Filipino Flash

Weight Class: Bantamweight

Birthdate: November 16, 1982

Birthplace: Bohol, Philippines

Record: 26-1, 18 KOs

Stance: Orthodox

Height: 5'6"

Reach: 68"

Trainer: Robert Garcia

Accomplishments:

• WBC and WBO bantamweight world champion
• WBA interim super flyweight world champion
• World championship fights: 5-0, 5 KOs
• Interim world championship fights: 1-0, 0 KOs
• Former IBF flyweight world champion, three successful defenses
• Former NABF super flyweight champion
• The Ring "2007 Knockout of the Year" - Donaire KO5 Darchinyan
• The Ring "2007 Upset of the Year" - Donaire KO5 Darchinyan
• 2000 U.S. National Championships (amateur), 106 pounds - Gold Medalist
• 2000 National Junior Olympic Championships (amateur), 106 pounds - Gold Medalist
• 1999 Junior Olympics International Championships (amateur), 106 pounds - Gold Medalist

One of the Philippines rising super star in boxing  Nonito Donaire received the merits of his efforts in 2012 after the displays of boxing skills and intelligence in four championships fights. A week ago ESPN awarded him as fighter of the year in 2012, followed by the Sports Illustrated, and the newest one from the Ring TV.

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. Donaire (31-1, 20 knockouts) garnered 55.2 percent of the votes, beating out runner-up Juan Manuel Marquez, who received 27.3 percent of the votes.

Donaire vs Arce

Marquez scored the Knockout of the Year in the Fight of the Year by icing his arch rival Manny Pacquiao in the sixth round of what RingTV.com readers also deemed the Event of the Year, but those same fans recognized that Donaire accomplished more than the Mexican legend inside and outside of the ropes.

In the ring, Donaire won the vacant WBO 122-pound title by out-pointing Wilfredo Vazquez Jr., who he dropped en route to scoring a split decision that should have been unanimous in February. Donaire unified junior featherweight titles by taking the IBF belt from Jeffrey Mathebula, a formidable 6-foot South African veteran who was floored and suffered a broken jaw on the way to losing a unanimous decision to the Filipino-American star in July.

Donaire vs Nishioka

Three months later, Donaire defended those belts with a ninth-round TKO of THE RING’s No. 1-rated junior featherweight Toshiaki Nishioka. The dominant victory over the Japanese beltholder, who had not lost a fight in more than eight years, earned Donaire THE RING’s vacant junior featherweight title, which he defended with a one-sided third-round knockout of rugged Mexican veteran Jorge Arce on Dec. 15.

Donaire fought four significant bouts in a 10-month span, three of which were against RING-rated contenders. Not bad. Hopefully, Donaire will maintain his busy schedule in 2013 and encourage other elite fighters to showcase their talent more than once or twice a year.

Doanire vs Mathebula

 

Speaking setting of much-needed trends in boxing, the new-school statement Donaire made in 2012 was committing to Olympic-style drug testing, which means random testing of banned substances at any time of any day, year-round.

Donaire, who raised eye brows when he hired controversial nutritional guru Victor Conte a few years ago, announced in June that he would undergo random testing conducted by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA).

Donaire vs Garcia

Donaire, who doesn’t require that his opponents undergo the same testing and makes the results of his drug tests public, was commended by fans and media alike in 2012, the year that performance-enhancing drug use became a hot-button issue in the sport after Lamont Peterson, Andre Berto, Antonio Tarver and Erik Morales were each found to have banned substances in their bodies either prior to or after major fights.

So far, Donaire is the only high-profile professional boxer who is willing to commit to comprehensive year-round drug testing.