MANILA, Philippines - Ang apat na sunod na panalo ni Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire, Jr. ay mula na rin sa paggiya sa kanya ni Mexican chief trainer Robert Garcia.
Kaya naman kinilala si Garcia bilang “2012 Trainer of the Year” ng mga boxing fans, ayon sa pahayag ng RingTV.com.
Ito ang pangalawang sunod na taon na hinirang si Garcia bilang best trainer ng mga RingTV.com readers matapos humakot ng kabuuang 57.4 porsiyentong boto.
Kasunod sina Virgil Hunter (19%) at ang namayapa nang si Emanuel Steward (18%).
“Garcia, however, trained more world-class fighters than his competition and his boxers were busier than the other top trainers,” sabi ni RingTV writer Doug Fischer kaugnay sa apat na panalo ni Donaire sa 2012.
Dalawang beses namang lumaban ang isa pang fighter ni Garcia na si Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios sa 2012 kung saan ang kanyang panalo kay Mike Alvarado ay isa sa mga top contenders para sa Fighter of the Year.
Maliban kina Donaire at Rios, ang iba pang nasa ilalim ni Garcia ay ang kanyang nakababatang kapatid na si Miguel Angel “Mikey” Garcia, Kelly Pavlik at Marcos Maidana.
“Pavlik, who was thought to be ‘mentally shot’ after losing his middleweight title to Sergio Martinez and checking into rehab for alcohol addiction in 2010, turned in three solid performances in 2012,” wika ni Fischer.
“Maidana looked like a one-dimensional puncher who had hit his ceiling... but the former 140-pound contender rebounded with Garcia’s help,” dagdag pa ng writer.
Ang high-profile fighter naman ni Garcia na si Hernan “Tyson” Marquez ay pinabagsak ni Brian “The Hawaiian Punch” Viloria sa 10th round para sa kanilang unification flyweight championship noong Nobyembre.
“Garcia ... was rightfully criticized for not keeping Antonio Margarito on the stool during his one-sided drubbing against Manny Pacquiao in 2010,” ani Fischer.