THE CONCEPCION DEBACLE ? WHOSE HEAD SHOULD ROLL?
By Ed de la Vega, DDS
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 12 Jul 2010
Michael Koncz.
To say that the results of Saturday?s fights in Puerto Rico were terrible, particularly for Bernabe Concepcion is an understatement. It was a clear blow-out!
I said Concepcion is not ready yet for JuanMa and I hated to be right particularly with my connections with Concepcion (via his mouthguards). I was hoping against all hopes that I will be proven wrong.
But it was all for naught!
Concepcion as I previously wrote should not have been put up against Juan Ma Lopez, at least not this time. The slugger from Catanduanes is no doubt good, very good in fact.
But he is not yet on par with Juan Ma. Lopez. At 22, he needs more seasoning and more slugfests against boxers that are within his realm to really toughen him, improve his defense, head and lateral movements and footwork.
Buboy Fernandez and Nonoy Neri did their best to get Concepcion ready and they can not be totally blamed. Concepcion at this point in his career just did not yet have enough to address the power and skills of Juan Ma Lopez.
But I guess that did not matter much to Michael Koncz who oversees Abe's career after Concepcion switched from the Aljoe Jaro Stable to the MP Promotions sometime ago.
Jaro himself informed this writer that he knows Concepcion is not yet ready for the level of Juan Ma. And he said, if he had his way, he would not have allowed it.
Why Concepcion was matched against Lopez this soon can only be answered by Koncz. It is he who arranges his fights and it is he who decides which fight to take. In short, Koncz is responsible for the match.
To digress a little, since Koncz is ?responsible? for Concepcion and the other boxers under the MP Promotions, does it not follow that he should also be responsible for their welfare when they train? Like providing cash for their food and training expense? I heard that the money is there anyway provided by the MP Promotions, (this was confirmed by Buboy himself) why is it that boxers and trainers complain that it's not being provided in an adequate and timely manner? Is it perhaps momentarily diverted for other purposes or for another person?s welfare?
I hope not!
I say these because there has been some rumblings about the attention, rather the non-attention to details when these boxers are in training and after the fight. In fact, I have some first hand knowledge that boxers are not paid in a timely manner.
I agree with some news reports insinuating that Concepcion was part of the grand scheme cooked by Top Rank that will eventually lead to the huge Lopez- Gamboa showdown next year.
Concepcion was made a stepping stone, and it will be hard to believe that Koncz was not aware of that. He probably knew it all along and allowed it to happen in spite of the odds and contrary to popular opinion. How can he not, when people say that he is also under the payroll of Top Rank. Now don?t they call that conflict of interest?
It is understandable for Top Rank to do what they did, that is ? promoting the fight between Lopez and Concepcion. That is their job and that?s where they make their money.
But Koncz does not necessarily have to follow them to the letter. He should look out better for the boxers. Their welfare must come first ahead of the money he makes off them. Sadly, it seems the reverse is true.
Koncz could have easily rejected the fight and waited when the skills of Concepcion are better. But I guess the pull of the almighty dollar took precedence over the capabilities and welfare of Concepcion.
I am certain Koncz will argue that title fight opportunities don?t come knocking on one?s door too often and must taken whenever they come.
I would not disagree with that.
But, even knowing that your boxer?s chances are no better than nil?
If the answer is yes, then the money issue is being put ahead of the welfare of the boxers.
That in my book is wrong.
While it is true that boxing is a business, I for one believe that the welfare of the boxers must come first.
Koncz must have known that Concepcion would serve well in the role as a stepping stone. And a fight between Concepcion and Lopez would do well in the tills particularly in Puerto Rico. Besides on the outside chance that Concepcion may pull this one out, they could always do a re-match and generate even more cash.
Perhaps it?s about time that the Congressman look deeply at the direction of where his promotional company is heading before it?s too late.
Perhaps a change is even necessary.
But the question is: - Will he have enough time to devout to these things when he is now swamp with Congressional issues?
How far is he willing to allow Koncz to continue to have a free reign on his promotions company at the expense of the boxers?
More specifically, why is Koncz given that much leeway?
Change must happen and it must happen now.
Otherwise, the boxers under the aegis of the MP Promotions will forever be stuck where they are now.
Perhaps to Koncz it really does not matter. He makes his money either way. But surely, that is not where the Congressman will want them to be.
Neither does the boxers themselves and the Filipino nation as a whole.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ed de la Vega, DDS.
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