Coach ni Donaire tinanghal na Trainer of the Year

MANILA, Philippines - Kagaya ni unified world super bantamweight ruler Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire, Jr., nabigyan din ng parangal ang kanyang Mexican chief trainer na si Robert Garcia.

Mula sa nakolektang 57.4 porsiyentong boto ng mga boxing readers ng RingTV.com, kinilala si Garcia bilang ‘2012 Trainer of the Year.’

Tinalo ni Garcia para sa kanyang ikalawang sunod na best trainer award sina Virgil Hunter (19%) at ang namayapa nang si Emanuel Steward (18%).

Bukod kay Donaire, ang iba pang sinasanay ni Garcia ay ang kanyang nakababatang kapatid na si Miguel Angel ‘Mikey’ Garcia, Brandon ‘Bam Bam’ Rios, Kelly Pavlik at Marcos Maidana.

“Garcia, however, trained more world-class fighters than his competitors and his boxers were busier than the other top trainers,” sabi ng RingTV writer na si  Doug Fischer kaugnay sa apat na panalo ni Donaire sa taong 2012.

Dalawang beses namang  umakyat sa boxing ring si Rios noong 2012 kung saan ang kanyang panalo kay Mike Alvarado ay isa sa mga top contenders para sa Fight of the Year.

“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 isa pang alaga 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. “In his lone high-profile loss of 2012, Garcia showed the kind of growth that promises many more Trainer of the Year awards.”