ROACH RULES OUT CONCEPCION-LOPEZ TITLE FIGHT JUST YET
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 10 Jun 2008
Celebrated trainer Freddie Roach has ruled out a title fight in the near future for North American Boxing Federation champion Bernabe Concepcion against newly crowned WBO super bantamweight sensation Juan Manuel Lopez .
In an overseas telephone conversation with Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today, Roach said Lopez was ?a little too dangerous? for Concepcion at this point in the 20 year old Filipino?s career and said Concepcion ?will need a little more seasoning? before he takes on the hard-hitting Puerto Rican who scored a sensational first round knockout over previously menacing Daniel Ponce De Leon on Sunday.
We understand that Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao and Michael Koncz who plays a role of some sort of an adviser and has ties with Top Rank promoter Bob Arum both believe Concepcion isn?t ready to take on Lopez.
Before the fight against Daniel Ponce De Leon which he expected Lopez to win, Arum spoke about a possible Concepcion-Lopez title fight if the Filipino performed well on the July 26 Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito undercard but after watching Lopez demolish Ponce De Leon even Arum may have second thoughts although he said Concepcion would probably be the only one with guts to step into the ring against the Puerto Rican.
Roach said Concepcion arrived in Los Angeles over the weekend after Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao called Aljoe Jaro and asked him to send Concepcion right away after Jaro publicly announced he would accompany the fighter to LA only on June 24. In fact Roach claimed that Concepcion had signed up with Pacquiao.
Concepcion would begin training at the Wild Card Gym today in preparation for his July 26th fight against Adam ?El Torito? Carrera, the former NABF champion with a record of 19-3 with 8 knockouts. Concepcion has a record of 25-1-1 with 14 knockouts.
According to boxrec.com Carrera was knocked out by undefeated Juan Carlos Burgos in the third round last August 24, 2007. Carrera won the NABF title with a seventh round TKO over Julio Gamboa on June 24, 2006 when Gamboa?s corner advised referee Raul Caiz Jr that Gamboa was unable to continue. Although Gamboa protested his corner?s decision to no avail, it was clear he was losing a tough fight rather badly and there was no need for him to take any more punishment from Carrera.
Carrera also scored scored a unanimous eight round decision over Gerardo Espinoza on July 4, 2006. Espinoza had previously dropped an eight round decision to Rey ?Boom Boom? Bautista on December 23, 2005.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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