By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse
In one of 2010's most exciting nearly two rounds of boxing action, challenger Bernabe Concepcion of the Philippines scored a first-round knockdown, but was floored three times himself during last Saturday's Showtime-televised, second-round knockout losss to WBO featherweight (126 pounds) champion Juan Manuel Lopez.
In defeat, the 22-year-old Concepcion (28-4-1, with 15 KOs) may have done more for his career than he had in his previous bouts, including an August, seventh-round disqualification loss to then-WBO champ, Steven Luevano, when he flattened the titlist with an errant punch long after the bell ending the seventh round.
But the aftermath of Lopez-Concepcion has gotten ugly for Michael Koncz, one of the fighters' handlers as a partner with seven-divison champion, Manny Pacquiao in the WBO welterweight (147 pound) titlist's MP promotions. An adviser to Pacquiao, Koncz has taken criticism from some members of the Filipino press who perceive him to be responsible for having pushed Concepcion into a fight that was beyond his capabilities to win.
In this Q&A, FanHouse sought Koncz's reaction to that criticism as well as that he has taken for the handling of other boxers in the MP promotional stable such as light flyweight (108 pounds) Rodel Mayol (26-5-2, 20 KOs) and flyweight (112 pounds) Richie Mepranum (22-2-1, five KOs).
FanHouse: So Mike, is it your perception that there are shots being taken at you as Manny Pacquiao's adviser and his partner handling the fighters at MP Promotions?
Michael Koncz: Taking the shots as Manny Pacquiao's adviser? No problem. That's part of my job and I'm willing to do that in order to -- I don't know if this is the right term -- but to save Manny from some of the wrong doings. I'm willing to do that.
But right now, it's not the negative criticism of me being Manny's adviser, but it's the negative criticism about MP Promotions and myself. And, first of all, all of the matches that I make with our boxers, I discuss that with my partner at MP Promotions, who is Manny.
And then Manny and I discuss it with the boxer. So, it's really up to the boxer. We give our advice and our opinions, but they're never threatened like, 'you take this fight, or you will never fight again.'
What is your take on all of this outcry that has come as a result of the loss by Bernabe Concepcion?
Specific to this most recent fight involving Bernabe Concepcion, when that fight was offered to us prior to his last fight with Mario Santiago [won by Concepcion via 10-round decision] --that's when the discussion was.
Now Bernabe had a very poor showing and we were very disappointed in him against Steven Luevano. That's a fight that Bernabe should have won within four or five rounds by knockout. But forever reason, he didn't perform.
Because he was disqualified for hitting after the bell?
Well, forget even that shot. He should have taken Luevano out way before that because he was a better boxer than Steven. So the discussion was that we'll give Bernabe a shot against this individual [Santiatgo,] and if he can beat this guy, then we have the opportunity for a title shot.
So this fight with Juan Manuel Lopez was not something that we did over night. This goes back to even before his last fight. That was the idea. If Bernabe showed good against Santiago, then we would get a title shot. So it was well planned out.
And that's how we do it. First I get the opportunity at a match, which I discuss with Manny, because he's my partner at MP Promotions, and I value his opinion as a boxer. And then we both felt Bernabe would have a tough fight.
But we felt that with the right game plan, that Bernabe had a very good chance of winning this fight.
What happened?
Unfortunately, the game plan that the trainer, Buoboy Fernandez, and Bernabe decided to use was absurd. I spoke to them all week, and we said, 'What does Bernabe have to do?' We talked to him before the training camp all of that time about the fight strategy. Manny's response?
'It's the same thing, Mike, that I told you before -- he's got to extend his punches, don't throw those short punches, give him angles and lateral movement, and throw combinations and get out. He can not stand in front of Lopez, who is a fabulous counter-puncher.'
We wanted to take him into the later rounds. Lopez has a tendency to tire out in the later rounds and Bernabe seems to have more power than Lopez, Manny and I felt, in the later rounds, that was when we felt a knockout would come if it was going to come.
Now, for some reason, fighter and the trainer, even though we had talked about the strategy many times during the week, they elected to go with a different game plan, which was the wrong game plan. So, that's what happened there.
Now, Bernabe Concepcion still is a young boxer with a lot of talent and a bright future, right?
Right, but now, I'll talk to Manny again, we'll give Bernabe another fight, and then we'll discuss with Bernabe if he wants to have the winner of Lopez and Rafael Marquez.
Nothing has changed. We still believe that Bernabe has the ability and the skill and the determination to beat either of those boxers. But he has to follow the game plan. Now, how can I get angry at Bernabe?
And he spoke to me right after the fight because he sensed the frustration in me. And I was very disappointed, and I expressed my disappointment in the locker room to the whole team. It was like, 'What the hell are you guys doing?'
We were supposed to box and give him angles. 'Why did you guys go toe-to-toe?' And, Bernabe was like, 'You know, I'm sorry, but I was listening to my corner.' And I'm the one that's always telling him that you have to have faith, trust and listen to your corner.'
So, there's not much that you can scold him on. But, again, it was a decision that was made by the fighter and the corner, and it was the wrong decision and it yielded a bad result. So, next time, hopefully they will listen to Manny and I.
Don't you believe that Bernabe raised his stature in the game by his performance?
Well, you can't baby the guy. Forget his age. He's had a lot of fights. Boxing is about taking chances with opportunities provided. Thank God, even though he lost the fight, it saved the television broadcast because it was an exciting fight.
Showtime is very happy. Even though it only went two rounds, it was the most exciting two rounds they said that they had had in a long time. But, again, we want to perform well enough for the network, but that's not our primary goal.
Our primary goal is to make sure that the fighter has a chance and performs and does the best that he can to win.
So do you believe that Bernabe will be better for this fight overall?
Yes. Bernabe is good that way, and he learns from his mistakes. I'm not a trainer, and I don't profess to be the trainer. I consult with Manny.
Manny's perception is that that's what they worked on in the gym -- the head movement, the combinations, the angles, the footwork -- it was unbelievable how good Bernabe looked. They were so confident and they were so sure that they were going to win this fight.
When Lopez went back to his corner after the first round -- and I watched the tape of the fight today -- I mean, he staggered into that corner. Throughout that whole sit-down in the corner Lopez didn't even know where he was.
So where is the criticism coming from and what do you believe is the source of it?
Well, I think they're just resentful. What these guys forget is that who got Rodel Mayol five shots at a world title in a year and a half? Who gave Bernabe Concepcion two title shots within six months? I mean, we're giving opportunities to our boxers.
And like Manny asked me, 'What happened in the Mayol fight [June's unanimous decision loss to Omar Nino Romero for WBC title]? I was in Mexico. I said, 'Manny, he was winning the first five, six rounds, and then, he got tired.'
Manny's response to me was, 'Mike, that's not your problem. That's the trainer's problem and the fighter's problem. Don't worry about it.' Because Manny knows that I take things personal when it comes to the fighters.
I feel for tehm and it's hard to explain. So he said, 'it's not your problem. We did what we're supposed to. We gave them the opportunity. How they train and if they don't train properly, that's not our problem, that's the trainer's problem.'
Why do you believe that it's coming at your expense?
Because what media is going to attack Manny? They're not going to attack Manny. Unfortunately, alleged investigative reporters are not the best investigative reporters. The only regret that I have in Bernabe's fight, and it's not like I just said, 'Bernabe, go fight the guy.'
All of the fights that we make are such that Manny and I discuss the match first, and then we discuss it with the fighters, and give them our opinion, and it's ultimately the fighter's decision. I would do it all over again and I plan on doing it all over again if Bernabe wants to do it all over again.
He'll have another fight, maybe two, but probably one more fight. And if he wins that fight, we're going to go after a rematch either with Lopez or Rafael Marquez. Did Bernabe lose because he was out-matched? I don't believe so.
I believe that he lost because of a very poor choice in the game plan. Based on the comments Showtime's people are making, they're very happy with the result of the fight -- not just because of who won or who lost -- but of the dynamics and the drama in the fight.
You get certain members of the media who decide to write certain things, but not once have you had one of our boxers that is with Manny or myself complain publicly.
Now, why is that? If these things were happening that a small number of reporters are alleging, don't you believe that a boxer would come forward and complain about them?
The fighters have a good rapport with me, and they know that I'm honest with them and I spend as much time with them as I can. They know that Manny is busy and he can't do that. Again, you don't have any fighters complaining.
Just the self-serving, propaganda media members.
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
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