Concepcion eyes WBC international crown

Rising Filipino boxing star Bernabe Concepcion struts his wares before his countrymen as he clashes with Kenyan Sande Otieno for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) International featherweight crown at the Araneta Coliseum tomorrow.

Scheduled for 12 rounds, the fight, the first at the 126-pound class for the 20-year-old boxer from Virac, Catanduanes, will be telecast over Solar Sports.

“He has just grown too big for the 122-pound division,” said Concepcion’s manager Aljoe Jaro. “But I’m sure Abe will be at his best at 126 pounds where he could make use of his full power.”

Dubbed the “Real Deal,” the 5-foot-4 fighter was a former NABF super-bantamweight champion and WBC World Youth titlist who holds an impressive record of 27-1, including 16 by knockouts.

He won his last fight against Giovanni Caro with an eight-round KO in California last September. He also scored a third round demolition of Adam Carrera in the undercard of the Antonio Margarito-Miguel Cotto World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight title fight.

But Otieno is no pushover as he holds the distinction of being the former WBC International titleholder.

The 33-year-old Kenyan, however, is coming off his first loss to another Filipino – Balweg Bangoyan who dethroned him for the WBC international belt following a unanimous five-round technical decision held in Davao City on October last year.

Otieno has a ring mark of 16-1 and seven KOs.

Also featured in the boxing card presented by Jaro International Promotion are former Oriental Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) and world light-flyweight challenger Sonny Boy Jaro and reigning Philippine mini-flyweight champion Denver Cuello.

Cuello takes on Indonesian junior flyweight champ Yanus Emaury while Jaro trades punches with Nanpayyak Sakkipin of Thailand.