SULAIMAN EXPLAINS WBC APPROVAL OF MONTIEL DEFENSE AGAINST CONCEPCION
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 25 Jun 2010
WBC secretary general Mauricio Sulaiman has explained the organization?s approval of a title defense of newly crowned bantamweight champion Fernando Montiel who is also the WBO champion, against Panama?s Rafael ?El Torito? Concepcion, the former WBA super flyweight interim champion.
In reply to a query from Inside Sports, Sulaiman said the WBC ?received a sanction request of champion Montiel to fight Concepcion who is ranked at No. 15 and such was accepted.?
Sulaiman indicated the WBC was ?not familiar? with issue of the purse bid conducted by the WBO last June 11 in New York which was won by Top Rank and in which Montiel was required to defend his WBO title against Eric Morel of Puerto Rico.
Morel earned the mandatory title shot after he beat former two division world champion Gerry Penalosa by a controversial split decision in a title eliminator at the Las Vegas Hilton last February 13.
The manager of Concepcion, Carlos Gonzalez has been quoted as saying that they understand that Montiel, as WBO champion, ?must face the interim champion (Morel) at some point? but emphasized that Montiel ?must first comply with the fight agreed upon before the WBO auction (purse bid).?
Gonzalez disclosed that he is in regular contact with Zanfer which is headed by well-known promoter Fernando Beltran and that ?they are conscious of their commitments to Concepcion.?
The Panamanian won the WBA super flyweight interim title with a stunning 10th round knockout of AJ ?Bazooka ? Banal on July 26, 2008 in Cebu when Banal was ahead on the scorecards of all three judges.
Two months later Concepcion took a bad beating from Jorge Arce in a defense of his interim title and retired in the 9th round.
Concepcion lost in a WBA super flyweight interim title fight against Nonito ?The Filipino Flash? Donaire in Las Vegas on August 15, 2009 when he weighed 4 ? pounds above the limit and despite the weight advantage lost by a unanimous decision to Donaire.
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