by Ronnie Nathanielsz
Former WBA super flyweight interim champion Rafael “El Torito” Concepcion has vowed to destroy undefeated Genesis “Azukal” Servania in their WBO Intercontinental super bantamweight title fight at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino on October 26.
The fight card will be telecast on the top-rating "Pinoy Pride" series over the giant broadcast network ABS-CBN's pre-eminent Channel 2 and also globally on The Filipino Channel which is widely watched especially in the Middle-East.
In an interview with Cebu-based Mexican cornerman Mike Lopez, Concepcion who stunned Filipino boxing fans when he knocked out favored AJ “Bazooka” Banal in the 10th round of a clash for the WBA super flyweight interim title at the Cebu Coliseum on July 26, 2008 said the Filipino people will see a great fight in which he promised “I will destroy Servania much worse than I did to Banal.”
Concepcion told Lopez “ I am hungry now to win the WBO Inter-Continental Super Bantamweight Title and get another world title shot.”
The Panamanian fighter who lost a unanimous twelve round decision in a WBA bantamweight interim title fight to Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire said his advantage over Servania is that he has “a heart of a lion. The Filipino fans saw that in my fight against Banal, I will never give up and I have fought better boxers than what Servania has faced. Servania was exposed in his last fight against the Japanese boxer in Macau. He doesn’t have punching power.”
Servania who is 22 years old and has a record of 22-0 with 8 knockouts was dropped twice early in round one against Konosuke Tomiyama but came back to send the Japanese to the canvas late in the round and once again in round three and went on to win a 9th round technical decision on the scorecards of all three judges after Servania was cut on the eyelid because of an accidental headbutt and the ring doctor ruled he was not fit to continue last July 27 in Macau. The cut required several stitches and a layoff before the sweet-punching Servania resumed training.
The 31 year old Concepcion who has a record of 18-6-1 with 8 knockouts said he had seen videotapes of Servania’s fights and described him as “a good fighter, but he has never fought anyone as strong and tough as me. He will be in the fight of his life. “
Concepcion is working with his same trainer Rigoberto Garibaldi whom he described as “one of the best trainers around who has trained many champions including Roberto “Hands of Stone” Duran, Rosendo Alvarez, Carlos Murillo, Guillermo Jones, Ricardo Mayorga.
Concepcion disclosed he had terminated the services of his manager Damon DeBella, even as he accused him of “cheating me out of my fight purses. That really hurt me emotionally and mentally as I wasn’t focused in the fight with Fernando Montiel in our world title fight.” Concepcion lost by a 3rd round knockout on July 17, 2010.
