?ABE?S ROOM RESTRICTED TO PARTICULARS?
By Alex P. Vidal
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 26 Jul 2008
LAS VEGAS, Nevada ? The room of North American Boxing Federation (NABF) super bantamweight champion Bernabe ?Kamaong Llave? Concepcion at No. 111 in the 25th floor of the MGM Grand here has been ordered off limits to those who have no business with the young boxer?s career as he prepares to face Adam Carrera in a 10-round non-title fight in one of the three main aperitifs before the 12-round world welterweight champion match between Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito dubbed ?The Battle? on July 26.
?No visitors are allowed,? manager Aljoe Jaro, who stays at room no. 428 in the 20th floor, flatly told a long-time buddy who wished to disturb Concepcion?s silence Thursday night.
The buddy, a retired US army, wanted to visit Concepcion and introduce him to his friends who came from California to watch the card assembled by Top Rank promotion and HBO on pay-per-view.
Jaro also discouraged other well-wishers who wanted to see Concepcion ?not until after the weigh-in (scheduled Friday afternoon).?
?Gutom pa siya at hindi maganda ang mood niya (he is still hungry and may not be in good mood),? Jaro explained.
Tasked to take care of Concepcion?s needs 24 hours a day is former World Boxing Council (WBC) bantamweight king Jovi Chan-Halog who shares the room with the 20-year-old banger from Virac, Catanduanes.
Halog though gets direct orders from boxing business manager Michael Koncz who stays in a room in another floor.
Jaro said even if the Concepcion versus Carrera tiff is non-title, ?we treat all his fights as very important and we don?t take chances because each victory will bring us nearer to the championship fight.?
He bought fruits for his ward who weighed some two pounds over the limit when he arrived here last Wednesday evening.
Top Rank chief executive officer Bob Arum earlier remarked that ?Concepcion is being treated in the Philippines as the next Manny Pacquiao? the reason why he gets tremendous attention in the press even if he will fight only in the undercard.
Nobody informed Concepcion that WBC lightweight champion Manny Pacquiao, who was supposed to arrive here on Friday, would miss the fight after he was persuaded by Malacanang to stay in Manila for Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo?s state of the nation address (SONA) on July 27.
?No. Don?t (inform him),? quipped Concepcion?s other adviser Dr. Allan L. Recto, who also appealed to ?leave Abe alone while he is preparing for the fight.?
Koncz, who broke the story that Pacquiao, his wife and two kids are coming, on Wednesday morning, admitted he was also surprised when Rex ?Wakee? Salud informed him again that the Pacquiao family decided to cancel the trip in the last minute.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Alex P. Vidal.
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