GOMEZ: NO TALKS OF CONCEPCION-LOPEZ FIGHT
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 06 Jan 2008
Concepcion.
Golden Boy Promotions vice president Eric Gomez wants to set the record straight with regard to reports that Juan Manuel Lopez (20-0, 18 KO?s) pulled out of a scheduled fight with the Philippines' Bernabe Concepcion (23-1-1, 13 KO?s) along with claims by Concepcion?s manager Aljoe Jaro that the Puerto Rican was probably scared.
In an overseas telephone conversation with Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today, Gomez said the manager of Lopez, Peter Rivera who handles Lopez along with Top Rank told him ?that?s not correct. We never agreed to that fight. Nobody talked to us.?
Gomez said that Lopez was in fact scheduled to clash with another Puerto Rican hope Jonathan Oquendo (14-1, 9 KO?s) on February 23 in Puerto Rico.
The story that the Concepcion fight with Lopez was off was first disclosed by Top Rank promoter Bob Arum on the popular talk show ?Sports Chat? hosted by Dennis Principe on dzSR Sports Radio and even Concepcion?s manager Aljoe Jaro was unaware until he was informed by Principe.
Gomez also denied a report that the IBF light flyweight title eliminator between Juanito Rubillar and former champion Omar Nino would be featured on the undercard of the rematch between Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao and WBC super featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez. The supposed fight was also posted on boxrec.com.
Gomez said there was no such thing and he was just as surprised as Arum who is co-promoting the Pacquiao-Marquez card. The Golden Boy vice president confirmed that super bantamweight Ciso Morales would debut in a six rounder on the non pay-per-view portion but they hadn?t picked an opponent as yet.
Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today learned that promoter Bebot Elorde whose wife Arlene manages Rubillar had asked well-known promoter/manager Sammy Gello-ani to try and help him get the Rubillar-Nino eliminator on the Pacquiao-Marquez card.
Earlier interest in staging the eliminator in Manila fizzled out when Nino?s promoter Gary Shaw asked for what the local promoters said was far too much.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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