WBO NAMES PACQUIAO 'FIGHTER OF THE DECADE' AND DONAIRE 'FIGHTER OF THE YEAR'

HOLLYWOOD, FL ? The WBO executive committee has named Manny Pacquiao as the 'WBO Fighter of the Decade' and Nonito Donaire Jr as the 'Fighter of the Year' Tuesday during the first day of the WBO 25th Convention at the Seminole Hard Rock & Casino.

Pacquiao has been given the rare distinction because of his dominance in 8 different weight divisions in the last decade. Pacquiao held the WBO welterweight title from November, 2009 when the Filipino superstar stopped Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico in the 12th round in Las Vegas, until June this year when Pacquiao lost a highly controversial split decision to Timothy Bradley, also in Las Vegas. Pacquiao was also named 'Fighter of the Decade' by the WBC last year.

Donaire fought twice in 2011, knocking out Fernando Montiel of Mexico in the 2nd round at the Mandalay Bay in February for the WBO and WBC bantamweight titles and dominating the defensive minded Omar Andres Narvaes of Argentina for the vacant WBO super bantamweight title at the Madison Square Garden in New York in October.

Other major awardees that were announced Tuesday morning by the WBO were Light Flyweight champion Yesica Bopp of Argentina for the 'Female Fighter of the Year' and Top Rank's Bob Arum and Todd Duboef for 'Promoter of the Year'.