?SICK? ROACH MISSES CONCEPCION?S FINAL WORKOUT IN WILD CARD GYM
By Alex P. Vidal
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 23 Jul 2008
LOS ANGELES, California ? Freddie Roach missed the final workout of North American Boxing Federation (NABF) super bantamweight champion Bernabe ?Kamaong Llava? Concepcion at the Wild Card gym in Hollywood on Tuesday afternoon after he was downed again by a flu.
Promoter and manager Aljoe Jaro said he was informed that Roach was hospitalized after he complained of dizziness. Roach had to beg off from administering the final panache on Concepcion?s arsenal.
Jaro took over the job and handled the punch mitt for six rounds for the 20-year-old speedster from Virac, Catanduanes who will face Adam Carrera in a 10-round non-title fracas in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 26.
?Roach called up (in the gym) to say he was begging off from the final training of Abe. His staff (in the gym) said he was hospitalized,? said Jaro, who is a former boxing champion. ?So I immediately grabbed the punch mitt and trained Abe.?
Conditioning coaches Eric Brown and Alex Ariza were present to observe Concepcion who went to church after the workout.
It was the second time in two months that the 48-year-old Roach fell ill. Last month, with barely 10 days left before Manny Pacquiao battles defending World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight champion David Diaz in Las Vegas, the Hall of Famer was also zapped with a flu that prompted him to stay away from his gym for several days.
Last Monday afternoon, Roach kept himself busy by training both Concepcion and International Boxing Federation (IBF) super flyweight champion Dimitry Kirilov one after the other.
Kirilov sparred with Filipino Diosdado ?The Prince? Gabi and Russian bantamweight prospect Khabir Suleymanov both for four rounds apiece while Roach punched mitt Concepcion for four rounds.
?He must have experienced over fatigue because of the volume of rounds he spent in last Monday?s workout,? observed Brown.
Before going to North Hollywood church late afternoon, Concepcion ate a plate of fruits prepared by former WBC international champion Jovy Chan-Halog who acts as driver and runner for both the Team Pacquiao and Team Concepcion.
He also spent a couple of minutes at the Palazzo apartment in La Brea chatting with loved ones in the Philippines.
?Ready na po ako (I?m ready),? he gushed when he returned after three hours. Team Concepcion will motor to Las Vegas before noon Wednesday. Agent Michael Koncz said he rejected Concepcion?s request for the entourage to leave later in the afternoon ?because he needs to rest upon his arrival.?
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Alex P. Vidal.
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