By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Bobby Pacquiao's elder brother Manny Pacquiao and trainer Freddie Roach and his group are apparently trying to ease out soft-spoken Michael Koncz who was responsible for helping the Philippine super featherweight champion get a crack at world-rated Carlos Navarro’s WBC Continental Americas title after earlier arranging a fight against Mexican journeyman Oscar Villa last November.
The plan appears similar to the attempt by Roach together with lawyer-partners Keith Davidson and Nicholas Kahn to get Manny Pacquiao to sign up with them after Pacquiao won the world title and despite the fact that he had a contract with Marty Elorde as
manager, Nazario as business manager and Murad Muhammad as promoter.
Pacquiao stayed with Koncz in his home before and after his sensational sixth round KO of Navarro. Koncz also flew to Cebu City last March 7 to watch the final stages of Pacquiao’s training at the famed ALA Gym of respected boxing patron Tony Aldeguer who was initially reluctant to allow the younger Pacquiao to train in his gym but was prevailed upon by Koncz to help. Aldeguer told Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today he was “impressed by the sincerity of Koncz to help Filipino boxers .”
Koncz had earlier arranged for Mexican hitman Gilberto Bonalos to fly to the Philippines for a ten round non-title fight against WBO Asia Pacific bantamweight champion Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista.
Never given credit as an aggressive boxer with a courageous fighting heart compared to elder brother Manny Pacquiao, Bobby Pacquiao was overwhelmed by the attention give his brother and even remarked at the Navarro pre-fight press conference that he hoped he would receive “the same kind of attention that he(Manny) has, some day.”
Bobby Pacquiao who was managed for several years by Rod Nazario when he started as a four-rounder just like Manny, had asked for Nazario’s advice on signing up with Koncz and had even faxed the proposed bout agreement contract with Koncz to Nazario. During the Bautista-Bolanos fight in Mandaue City last June 11, Nazario who always said that Bobby was “a technically better fighter” than his celebrated brother told Koncz “take care of him very well. The boy is good."
Roach and his group had never paid any attention to Bobby Pacquiao who despite training in Roach's gym in Los Angeles was unimpressive in his victory over Villa. However, after intense training at the ALA Gym known for its strict discipline and an 8 p.m. curfew with Aldeguer making sure he had top class sparring partners including OPBF champion Randy Suico and such talented boxers as Jimrex Jaca, Bart Abapo, Dindo Castanares and Dondon Sultan, Pacquiao was described as “a different fighter and a different person.”
Bobby Pacquiao, after his sensational win over Navarro has become hot property and Roach is among those hot on taking him away from Koncz. Viva Sports learned that on the day of the fight lawyer Davidson called Pacquiao and asked him not to sign a contract with anybody. Viva Sports also learned that Roach had been reluctant to be in the corner of Pacquiao and that Manny Pacquiao was offered a roundtrip ticket to watch the fight in Friant, California but declined.
