ARUM SAYS CONCEPCION IS SOMETHING SPECIAL
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 30 Apr 2008
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum who promoted the fight card in Quartero, Mexico in which Bernabe Concepcion retained his North American Boxing Federation super bantamweight title with a second round TKO over 2004 Olympic alternate Torrence Daniels says ?I always thought of him (Concepcion) as something special.?
In an overseas telephone conversation with Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today, Arum said he was ?very proud of him (Concepcion). He fought a tough guy with a great background and had won some good fights.?
He said Concepcion ?looked spectacular? adding that he had ?been in love with this kid from the beginning. He is getting better and better.?
However, the astute promoter isn?t planning to rush the hard-hitting, 20 year old, undefeated Filipino into a title fight with IBF champion Steve ?The Canadian Kid Molitor. Arum said he is likely to put Concepcion on a fight card in Vera Cruz, Mexico on July 12 or on the big Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito showdown in as Vegas on July 26.
Dr. Allan Recto who was assigned by WBC secretary general Mauricio Sulaiman as ringside physician for the main event between Julio Cesar Chavez Jr and Tobia Guiseppe Loriga said Concepcion is ? a hot prospect and hopefully one of the future hopes in Philippine boxing.?
Dr. Recto said he had also heard of plans by Top Rank to possibly feature Concepcion on the May 17 ?Latin Fury? fight card in Aguascalientes , Mexico headlined by Jorge Arce who battles undefeated Thai Devid Lookmahanak.
He said while Concepcion?s manager Aljoe Jaro was returning to Manila, Concepcion would stay behind and continue to train at Freddie Roach?s Wild Card gym in Los Angeles.
Dr. Recto was obviously impressed with Concepcion who, he noted, followed Roach?s advice ?to go to the body first since Daniels was taller and wear him down, then go for the head. It was effective.
However, he said Concepcion was hit with a left uppercut in round two and ?held on because he felt the punch. But he recovered quickly and became more aggressive, then went for the kill when Daniels was in trouble? forcing the referee to stop the fight.
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