Nonito Donaire Jr., whose epic knockout win over WBO and WBC bantamweight champion Fernando Montiel early last year earned him The Ring Knockout of the Year award, will receive the accolade as one of the outstanding boxers of 2011..
..during the 12th Elorde Boxing Awards/Banquet of Champions on March 25 at the Dusit Thani Hotel which is being presented by the Elorde Family in cooperation with COBRA Energy Drink, Sanicare , Procter & Gamble Distributing Phils., Inc. and PCSO.
Donaire dethroned Montiel, who wrested the WBO and WBC titles, with a second round knockout in their title bout in Mandalay Bay on Feb. 9, 2011. That win, his 24th straight since 2001, earned the honor as the world’s fourth-ranked pound-for-pound champion, two rungs closer to pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao.
He defended his WBO and WBC titles on Oct. 11, 2011 with a unanimous decision over Omar “El Huricane” Narvaez. Although he did not win by knockout as predicted, he won the nod of all three judges who gave him identical 120-108 scores.
Donaire will be in the Banquet of Champions with Pacquiao, who will receive a special citation during the awards rites to be held in memory of the 77th birth anniversary of International Boxing Hall of Famer Gabriel “Flash” Elorde, world junior lightweight champion from 1960 to 1967.
Others to be honored as boxers of the year are Donnie Nietes, a former four-time minimumweight titleholder who annexed the WBO light flyweight belt, WBO flyweight king Brian Viloria and WBO super bantamweight queen Ana Julaton. “Filipinos are proud to have four boxers, outside of Manny Pacquiao, in the roster of world champions and we are doubly happy to have them and Manny Pacquiao in the Elorde Banquet of Champions this year,” said Laura Elorde, wife of the Da Flash.
Also to be honored in the rites are Filipino international and Philippine champions, the most promising boxer, best fight, best promoter and matchmaker, and individuals and entities that contributed to professional boxing in the 2011.
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