By Ronnie Nathanielsz
North American Boxing Federation super bantamweight champion Bernabe Concepcion may fight Juan Ruiz in a rematch in Macau which Top Rank promoter Bob Arum plans to stage at the Venetian on October 6.
In an overseas telephone conversation with www.insidesports.ph , Viva Sports and Manila Standard Today, Michael Koncz who manages Concepcion along with Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao and Aljoe Jaro said “I might give him a rematch with Juan Ruiz which is something that popped into my mind today.”
Koncz said Ruiz (23-5, 7 KO’s) went the distance with Concepcion last February 9 in what he described as “ a tough fight.”
At the same time Koncz said he and celebrated trainer Freddie Roach both think Concepcion is not ready for a world title fight although Aljoe Jaro believes he is..Koncz said we are going to take it each fight at a time and assess the situation after each fight.
He said “its not a question of winning the title I want Bernabe to defend it against the best in that division. I think he’s got some fine-tuning to do before we are ready." Koncz said he wants a solid opponent who will give Concepcion ten solid rounds in his next fight which will " allow us to see a couple of things we still need to work on. "
Koncz said Concepcion needs to throw a higher volume of punches although he has improved from his last fight and against Adam Carrera whom he stopped in three rounds “his lateral movement was very good and slipping the punches was also very good but he had no jab. He has to let his hands go more often and use what he’s got – speed and power.”
Earlier reports indicated that Concepcion was scheduled to fight in a San Diego, California fight card on September 27 but Arum told us much earlier that he wanted Concepcion to see action in Macau on the same card as IBF flyweight champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire.
Donaire faces South Africa’s Moruti Mthalane in a mandatory title defense although Mthalane's promoter, well-known South African boxing man Branco Milenkovic called www.insidesports.ph to say that there was no agreement reached and Arum had not even spoken to him.
