Underdog Boxing: Year-end awards

As we say goodbye to 2011, let's look back at the year that was and give out awards to Filipino fighters. Fighter of the Year: Brian Viloria This was a very hard decision to make as both Brian Viloria (30-3-0, 17 KOs) and Nonito Donaire (27-1-0, 18 KOs) had stellar years. Donaire opened the year with a big win over Fernando Montiel to unify the WBO and WBC bantamweight titles. He then followed it up with a unanimous decision victory over an unwilling opponent in Omar Narvaez. Viloria also fought twice in the year. He first scored a unanimous decision victory over Julio Cesar Miranda to take the WBO flyweight title, which made him a two-division champion. Before the end of the year, Viloria gave out the performance of his career as he battered Giovani Segura into submission. Before the fight, Segura was rated as the ninth best pound-for-pound fighter in the world according to Ring Magazine but Viloria made him look pedestrian as he dominated him the entire fight. On paper, Donaire's victories could be considered equal even greater than Viloria's. However, taking everything into perspective, Viloria's year has been more fruitful just because everyone gave up on him after losing to Carlos Tamara in 2010. Few expected Viloria to win another world title. When he did, fewer people believed he will be able to defend it against a powerhouse in Segura. He came into the fight as an underdog although he was the defending champion but the manner that he dominated Segura was jaw-dropping. KO of the Year: Nonito Donaire's 2nd-round stoppage of Fernando Montiel This was a no-brainer. This tremendous left hook knockout has also been given the Knockout of the Year award by various boxing websites and magazines. The knockout looked spectacular but what takes this through the roof is the opponent. Fernando Montiel considered by many as the best bantamweight in the world at that point. Nonito Donaire baited Montiel into throwing a big right by lowering the guard on his left side. The Filipino Flash timed it perfectly then swung for a monstrous check hook just after Montiel landed a right. Montiel collapsed to the floor, his muscles twitched uncontrollably as he was on the floor. Referee Russell Mora allowed the fight to continue but Donaire jumped Montiel and stopped him seconds after. Fight of the Year: Niño Magboo The fight between Drian Francisco and Michael Domingo was a throwback fight in the sense that it pitted two world-rated Filipino fighters against each other but a fight in the undercard stole the show. Rene Bestudio represented the Tiger City Boxing Gym of Mandaluyong while Niño Magboo was from Elmer Anuran's stable. They fought a furious fight for the first six rounds. At the start of the seventh, Magboo appeared to be gassing out. Bestudio went on the offensive and had Magboo clinching repeatedly. The same story played out in the eighth round until Magboo landed a huge right hand that came out of nowhere that knocked Bestudio out cold on his feet. Magboo capitalized on the opportunity and connected with another power punch that dropped Bestudio to a heap. The referee did not even bother to start a count. Prospects of the Year: Milan Melindo and Mercito Gesta Among the up and coming Filipino fighters, these two have proved that they are ready to fight under bigger stages. Milan Melindo fought twice, beating Rosendo Vega via knockout in the very first round and then went on to beat Francisco Rosas via stoppage in the 10th round. Melindo is now rated in the top 10 of all governing bodies. Mercito Gesta on the other hand had a very busy 2011 as he fought four times. He defeated good fighters in Genaro Trazancos, Jorge Pimentel, Manuel Perez and Ricardo Dominguez. He scored two third-round knockouts in the first two fights then proved he could also last the distance as he scored wide decision victories in the last two. Gesta is rated in the top 10 in both the WBA and WBO. Look out for these two fighters in 2012 as they might just get their shot at a world title. — GMA News