By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Michael Koncz, the ever present adviser of pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao, and a man who some people love to hate, married someone who obviously loves him on Tuesday evening at The Manor, the classy hotel at Camp John Hay.
Koncz himself told us it was fun and everybody present had a rollicking good time despite the super typhoon's heavy rains and gusty winds that battered the summer capital for two days.
Pacquiao gave the bride, attractive Racquel Batimana who is a Filipina, born in Hawaii but who lives in Los Angeles, away.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum acted as master-of-ceremonies and lighted up the place as he normally does being a superb raconteur.
Koncz explained to us that he only made up his mind to push through with the wedding, which had been planned, at 1:00 p.m. Tuesday because Arum and his stepdaughter Dena duBeof are leaving on Thursday for Las Vegas to finalize everything for the November 13 showdown between Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito at the Dallas Cowboys stadium .
Koncz said Ilocus Sur governor Luis “Chavit” Singson had wanted to host the wedding at his home in Manila when they come down but Koncz said he didn’t wish to disappoint Arum whom he works with very closely and who clearly believes in Koncz and likes him.
Pacquiao himself has publicly stated in the face of criticism of Koncz by some quarters, "I trust him, he's loyal and does what I ask him to do" which Arum has said "is important. What more can you ask for? Besides, Michael doesn't steal and he tries his best to protect Manny."
The wedding was attended by all the members of Team Pacquiao. The only two people who didn’t dance after the wedding ceremony were Koncz himself and trainer Freddie Roach."I don't dance because I don't know how to, confessed Koncz.
Koncz’s 19 year old son Austin by a previous marriage attended the wedding.
Koncz told the Inquirer he met his wife Raquel who is a licensed masseuse in Los Angeles as she served as masseuse for some of the MP Promotions boxers some nine months ago. He revealed that when Racquel was hospitalized for three days in Baguio City with some virus "that's when we decided to get married."
