CONCEPCION MAY BE READY FOR LOPEZ AFTER THREE MORE FIGHTS
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 17 Jun 2008
Manny Pacquiao?s adviser Michael Koncz who says he manages North American Boxing Federation super bantamweight champion Bernabe Concepcion along with Pacquiao and Aljoe Jaro has indicated Concepcion may be ready to take on newly-crowned WBO champion Juan Manuel Lopez after three more fights.
Koncz who is close to Top Rank promoter Bob Arum and helps get Filipino boxers fights in Arum?s fight cards said he wants ?to evaluate what he (Concepcion) does against his opponent? on the undercard of the Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito battle on July 26 before making any decisions.
Concepcion who jogs with Pacquiao every morning and works out at the Wild Card Gym of celebrated trainer Freddie Roach clashes with former NABF champion Adam ?El Torito " Carrera who has a record of `19-3 with 8 knockouts. Concepcion sports a record of 25-1-1 with 14 knockouts.
Koncz indicated that he and Pacquiao basically handle the business aspect of Concepcion ?s career in the US , arranging fights and working on the choice of opponents and his fight schedule.
Koncz said ?I think we are doing a good job. He is now ranked No. 4 and we are going after No. 3 and he has an option to fight Lopez? who scored a stunning first round demolition of WBO super bantamweight champion Daniel Ponce De Leon recently.
But Koncz says both he and Pacquiao who watched Lopez destroy Ponce De Leon ?don?t think Bernabe is ready. There is no need to throw him in there. He is only 20 years old.?
He said they plan to get Concepcion a tougher opponent after the Carrera fight and after seeing how he performs ?maybe consider Lopez after three fights down the road. I don?t want to get him hurt or discouraged.?
Koncz conceded that former boxer and manager Aljoe Jaro had taken Concepcion ?as far as he can as a trainer? but that if the desire is to make Concepcion ?some special champion, we have to take him to that next level and that?s why we have him training with Freddie (Roach). Aljoe did the best he could do. Now we?ve got to take that next step.?
Koncz said Concepcion was ?motivated and working hard and everything is going to be okay.?
He also disclosed that Rodel Mayol was back in Los Angeles since his wife was going to give birth while Diosdado Gabi who was ?training in the gym when Manny first got here, hasn?t been seen since then.?
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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