TAPALES WILL GO TO BATTLE WITHOUT A CUTMAN
By Ed de la Vega, DDS
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 06 May 2011
Las Vegas, NV:- Marlon Tapales, the super flyweight prospect from Lala, Lanao del Norte who is making his US debut tomorrow night at the Mandalay Bay against Alejandro Solorio of Huntington Park, CA will go to the fight without a cutman. He will have to make do with just his trainers Nonoy Neri and Buboy Fernandez.
No worry though. If worse comes to worse, Neri and Fernandez are more than capable of getting the work done. For as long as they have the proper meds, they will do okay.
Two weeks ago when Tapales went to my office to be fitted a mouthguard, the young boxer requested me to serve as his cutman as per the suggestion of Nonoy Neri.
Tapales said that because of the modest purse he will be receiving for the fight he can not afford to pay a cutman. Thus he asked if I can help him out pro bono.
How can I say no to such an honest request?
Last Monday, Tapales informed me that Michael Koncz would not allow me to be Tapales? cutman despite knowing that I will do the job pro bono. I asked if Koncz refusal has anything to do with competency. ?Wala naman pong sinabi basta sabi niya ayaw niya kung ikaw ang cut man,? Tapales replied ( Nothing was mentioned but he simply said he did not like you to be the cutman).
Koncz apparently assigned Miguel Diaz to serve as Tapales? cutman. Of course Diaz will not do the job for free. Being a cutman and a trainer are his main bread and butter, why should he give away his services for free?
Personally, it really does not matter if I do not serve as Tapales? cutman. I would rather shot photos for PhilBoxing.
But what intrigues me most is the fact that Koncz would rather get someone else to work the corner of Tapales and pay for it (actually the money comes off Tapales? purse) than get me to work Tapales? corner for free. Why penalize the boxer who is being paid next to nothing? When all the cuts for expenses are made, the poor kid will go home with almost nothing.
I only hope Koncz does not have ?special? arrangements with Diaz that is why he would hire him at the expense of the boxers.
No sir, I am not suggesting that he gets a commission from Diaz. That is far from my thoughts. Diaz is a pure boxing man and he more honorable than that!
Today at the weigh-in, Nonoy Neri told Koncz that his Team does not like to have Diaz work the corner of Tapales as there is not enough money to pass around. He and Buboy will be at the corner and take care of business.
Thus Tapales goes to battle without a cutman to serve his needs.
Incidentally, the same goes for Rodel Mayol. Koncz also got Diaz to work Mayol?s corner tomorrow night.
Thinking back, I have a nasty feeling why Koncz is refusing my pro bono services. It?s all about getting even! And, he will do it even at the expense of the boxers he is supposed to help.
Vindictive, huh?
It goes back all the way to Mayol?s fight in Mexico last year when I exposed the little nasty things that Koncz did to Mayol and his Team. He has done the same to other boxers in the past.
The night after Mayol lost his title, the Team was having a late quiet dinner at the hotel room of Mayol. Koncz was there with us having dinner.
After eating, he told Lira Mayol that he is going back to his room to fetch the $10,000 given to him by the promoter so Mayol can have some money going home to LA. That was about 2:00 AM.
We waited for him to return but he never did. At 4:00 AM, Lira called his room and his girl friend then (who is his wife now) answered the phone and told Lira that he is now asleep and she did not wished to bother him.
When we met Koncz at the hotel lobby at 6:00 AM, he told Lira that he does not have the money. How can he not have the money when he explicitly said after dinner that he will fetch the money from his room?
At the airport, Lira was almost begging for a little cash advance for her kid?s birthday.
But, she did not a get a cent from Koncz.
Then it took almost 10 days before Mayol finally got his money. By that time he was already in LA.
A few days later I spoke to Mayol and I was informed that Koncz was furious about the stories I wrote and published on PhilBoxing. He allegedly told Mayol that he will never fight again if he gets me as his cutman again.
With that I told Mayol that it?s okay for me not to work his corner for as long as he get fights and make money. Modesty aside, unlike Michael Koncz, I have a day job that can support everything I do. I am not into boxing for the money. I just want to help the Filipino boxers.
And, I will never exploit these boxers!
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ed de la Vega, DDS.
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