Rafael Concepcion Training Hard To Beat Nonito Donaire

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

Former WBA super flyweight interim champion Rafael “El Torito” Concepcion’s training camp in Panama is “ going very well” according to his manager Damon De Berry of Optimum Sports Agency.

Concepcion (13-3-1, 8 KO’s)  battles Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire (21-1, 14 KO’s)for the WBA super flyweight interim title on August 15 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas in a fight card billed  “Pinoy Power 2.”

The exciting Top Rank promotion will also feature the WBO title defense of Steven Luevano (36-1-1, 15 KO’s) against hard-hitting Filipino Bernabe Concepcion (29-1-1, 16 KO’s) and Filipino light welterweight Mark Jason Melligen (15-1-1, 11 KO’s) vs Michel Rosales (24-3, 21 KO’s)of Mexico .

De Berry reported that Concepcion is about 125 pounds at the moment. He said the Panamanian who is best known f or his stunning 10th round knockout win over the highly-touted AJ “Bazooka” Banal to grab the 115 pound interim title in Cebu last year “has been sparring very well with top class sparring partners from Panama.”

After beating Banal, Concepcion subsequently lost when he retired in the 9th round of a war with Mexican warrior Jorge “Travieso” Arce on September 15, 2008.

Two new sparring partners recruited from the US are expected in Concepcion’s training camp over the weekend. He trains at the Pedro “Rockero” Alcazar gym in Panama City from Monday through Saturday beginning at 1:00 p.m.

Meantime, Panamanian trainer Rigoberto Garibaldi one of the more experienced men in the business continues to work on improving the defensive skills of Concepcion.

Garibaldi was quoted as saying “Rafa keeps being a raging bull, but he is now stronger, faster and with more upper body movement” than when he beat Banal. The experienced trainer said he had studied Concepcion’s videos and saw that he was “taking too many punches before winning by knockout in recent fights.”

Garibaldi said  when he became Concepcion’s trainer his “first concern was to make him a better representative of the traditional Panamanian boxing style.”