INTERNATIONAL MATCHMAKER GUARANTEES EXCITING FIGHT
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 23 Jul 2008
Make no mistake about it. The WBA interim super flyweight championship battle between undefeated southpaw AJ ?Bazooka? Banal and Panama?s Rafael ?El Torito? Concepcion will be ?a very exciting fight.?
That?s the prediction of a man who should know ? WBA 2008 ?Matchmaker of the Year? Sampson Lewkowicz. The well-known boxing man told www.insidesports.ph ?this will be a very exciting fight between two young fighters who will not give up in their wish and their will.?
Lewkowicz predicted ?a great fight in which the best fighter will win.?
The fight card billed ?LABAN NA BANAL: Panahon Na? will be staged at the historic Cebu Coliseum where a hometown hero, the late Gabriel ?Flash? Elorde, carved a name for himself en route to becoming the world junior lightweight champion and holding the title for nearly seven-and-a-half years.
The fights will be telecast by the giant broadcast network ABS-CBN which is a partner in the promotion along with the famed ALA Gym of respected boxing patron Tony Aldeguer and the eminent Golden Boy Promotions whose vice president and international matchmaker Eric Gomez will be at special ringside. The ?live? telecast will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Studio 23 with a replay over the pre-eminent Channel 2 on Sunday morning.
Optimum Sports Agency CEO Damon De Berry who handles Concepcion said the 26 year old Panamanian was ?ready to go, has trained very hard and is determined to take the title back to Panama.?
Concepcion who appeared to have problems with his weight which was reportedly some four or five pounds over the 115 pound limit did roadwork and a grueling stint in the gym on Tuesday morning and a public workout at the ?Fight Club? at the Banilad Town Center in the afternoon. He apparently was able to shed off the excess pounds.
De Berry was quietly confident that Concepcion would not only make the weight but also win the fight and was ready to rumble no matter what Banal brings.
Banal who has looked sharp in training is eagerly looking forward to the interim championship bout and a future clash with the winner of another all-Japan clash between Nobuo Nashiro and Kohein Kono on September 15.
For Filipino fight fans there are scores to settle with the Japanese who have consistently avoided fighting the Philippines best including IBF flyweight champion Nonito ?The Filipino Flash? Donaire who has called out the WBA and WBC champions but has received no response. In fact Donaire claimed the Japanese were ?scared? to fight him.
Meantime female super bantamweight Brenda Shaylor of Las Vegas strutted her stuff at the ?Fight Club? before a large crowd and impressed onlookers with her punching power and combinations while working on the punch-mitts .with former Cebu resident Tony Martin who is her trainer.
Shaylor sees action in a special four round bout against former amateur standout Reynalyn Consejo Jacob of Bacolod City in what surely promises to be an exciting night of boxing.
Talented Milan Melindo faces a formidable challenge when he faces Panama?s cat-quick Carlos Melo in a WBA Intercontinental title fight where the WBA has out of respect for Chairman Eric Buhain and the Philippine Games and Amusements Board given GAB the right to appoint the referee and judges for the fight.
Melo impressed boxing fans during his workouts at the ?Fight Club? showing tremendous hand speed and excellent footwork. The Melindo-Melo showdown may well steal the thunder from the main event.
Philippine bantamweight champion Michael Domingo is also expected to have his hands full against tough Indonesian Rivo Ringkung in a WBO Oriental championship bout while promising James Bacon takes on another rugged Indonesian Skak Max in a six round special attraction at 128 pounds.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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