The Philippine Online Chronicles

Proving that Manny Pacquiao is not the only Philippine boxer tenacious enough to make it in the international boxing scene, Bernabe Concepcion defeated Kenya's Sande Otieno Sunday night to nab the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) international featherweight crown.

Concepcion won by technical knockout during the fifth round of their match at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City, the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) said. The Kenyan was reportedly “staggered several times” by right straight punches from Concepcion.

Known to fans as “Kamaong Llave,” Concepcion “first rattled Otieno with a right hook to the head in the opening round,” ABS-CBN News reported. Otieno's performance was further hampered by a cut on his left eyebrow, which he sustained during the third round from a “clash of heads.”

According to PhilBoxing, the Kenyan summoned enough courage to counter Concepcion's rally by “charging towards [the Filipino boxer] in the 3^rd and 4^th rounds, cornering [him] in the ropes several times.”

However, Otieno's efforts weren't enough to deter the 20-year-old boxer, who “turned Otieno's face into a bloody mess,” BoxingScene said. Because of the battering he received, Otieno “quit his stool and didn't come out for the sixth round.”

“I knew from the first round that I would control the fight. I knew I could take his punches,” PDI quoted Concepcion, who is said to have “raised his record to 28-1-1 with 18 knockouts.”

Aside from being the former North American Boxing Federation (NABF) bantamweight champion, he was also a WBC youth super bantamweight title holder, GMA News said. He “relinquished the NABF bantamweight crown to move up and fight in the featherweight division.”

He trained for years with Pacquiao, who continues to serve as his adviser. Former boxer Aljoe Jaro serves as his manager, BoxingScene said.

“Definitely, we will accept if [we are offered] a fight in one of the undercards [in a future Pacquiao match],” Jaro told reporters. If the veteran boxer will not have a fight, however, Jaro would like Concepcion to fight Mexico's Juan Ruiz in the last week of March or the first week of April in Manila, PDI reported.

Jaro is also considering promoting a title fight against WBC champion Oscar Larios, BoxingScene noted.

Photo: “Waiting to get in the ring” by Jon Blair Photo, taken from Flickr.com. Licensed under Creative Commons license number by-nc-nd-deed.en.
Video: “Concepcion kayoes Otieno” uploaded by densprincipe to YouTube.com.