Danseco bags WBC’s judge of the year

MANILA, Philippines - Nonito Donaire Jr. isn’t the only Filipino who bagged the distinction as best in the year.

Another reason for the Filipino to be proud of is a veteran international boxing judge, Rey Danseco, who was adjudged Boxing Judge of the Year by the World Boxing Council (WBC).

Danseco was Judge of the Year 2010 and 2011 in the Philippines during the Annual Gabriel “Flash” Elorde Memorial Boxing Awards and Banquet of Champions before taking the biggest honor and recognition in his eight-year career.

The 39-year-old from Calauag, Quezon received the award before a thousand delegates from 163 countries, including legendary American promoter Don King and most respected boxing judges and referees during the 50th Convention of the WBC at the Grand Oasis Hotel in Mexico recently.

Donaire, 30, was named the “Fighter of the Year” by ESPN and Boxingscene after winning all his four title fights, the latter two by knockouts, this year.

  In a news carried by USA Today, CBS and Sports Illustrated, Yahoo! Danseco is “considered among the best in the world” when he worked as one of the judges in the huge WBC middleweight title on June 16 at Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas where Mexico’s Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. knocked out Irish Andy Lee in round 7.

Boxingtalk’s Scott Shaffer also reported in one of his scrutinized news that Danseco “has no obvious bad decisions on his resume” after making a record as the first Filipino judge to work in Montreal, Canada for the historic rematch between Bernard Hopkins and Jean Pascal for the WBC light middleweight title.

“He (Danseco) did correctly have Hopkins beating Pascal in their second fight,” figured out Saturdaynightboxing.com.

American Laurence Cole, son of Dickie Cole, administrator of combat sports of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, refereed the Chavez Jr.- Lee fight, was named WBC’ Referee of the Year.

Cole, 49, served as the third man in the ring when Donaire knocked Jorge Arce out in the third round at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas last Dec. 15.

Donaire’s win catapulted his reputation as the Philippines’ best pound-for-pound fighter after Pacquiao’s loss to Juan Manuel Marquez with a knockout last Dec. 8 in Las Vegas.