LAS VEGAS – It was all red, white, blue, and yellow here on Saturday, February 13.
Filipino pride was on full display at Top Rank’s Pinoy Power event at the Las Vegas Hilton and the Filipinos headlining the card didn’t disappoint even though the boxers from the Philippines left with a 2-2 record in the televised pay-per-view.
Title contender Bernabe Concepcion and IBO and IBF Champion Nonito Donaire Jr. both won their respective matches in impressive fashion. While the ageless warrior that is Gerry Penalosa and young buck Ciso Morales lost.
Concepcion kicked off the Pinoy Power event and Donaire Jr. ended it in stellar fashion.
"The Real Deal" Concepcion sent the pro-Filipino crowd to their feet after he landed a right cross that sent his opponent, Mario Santiago, twisting to the ground like a whirling dervish in the sixth round.
But as dominant as Concepcion may have been he barely hung on to a unanimous decision victory.
The 22-year-old Concepcion learned from the mistakes he made in his last match, a loss. Concepcion fought more aggressively against Santiago landing roundhouse right power shots almost at will that often jarred the Puerto Rican’s head early and often but the extra juice the Filipino would put on his punches left him vulnerable and susceptible that showed as the 10-round match went on.
The southpaw Santiago of Puerto Rico tried to keep Concepcion at length by using a stiff right jab, Concepcion though, would always find a way around it to land his power shots.
Toward the latter end of the bout, Santiago almost stole the show and won the match. With Concepcion fatigued and throwing wild punches in the air, Santiago countered effectively, and often pushed the Filipino numerous times against the ropes and bombarded him with combinations.
Despite the late flurries from Santiago, Concepcion managed to hang on to earn the win by the judge’s scorecard.
Concepcion improved his record to 28-3-1 16 KO’s and will now face a tougher Puerto Rican opponent WBO Featherweight Titlist Juan Manuel Lopez.
Gerry Penalosa used quick feet and ring guile to overcome a badly cut left eye but it wasn’t enough for the ageless warrior.
The 36-year-old Penalosa started slow and picked up steam as the 12-round title eliminator match wore on. An accidental headbutt in the sixth round from his opponent, Eric Morel, opened a cut above Penalosa’s left eye that never seemed to stop bleeding.
The match was close throughout. Morel was leading more with his head than gloves but managed to counter the aggressive Penalosa more effectively.
Penalosa gave a more valiant effort fighting off the blood dripping down from his left eye chasing the Puerto Rican around the ring but being the aggressor wasn’t enough for the Filipino, who might be pondering retirement after this match.
Two of the three judges gave the match to Morel.
In the co-main event, Ciso Morales of Bohol, Philippines suffered the first loss of his career when WBO Bantamweight Champion Fernando Montiel landed a jarring body blow that sent Morales to the ground in 2:06 in the first round.
Nonito Donaire Jr. ended the Pinoy Power event on a good note. Donaire Jr. controlled the match throughout and was too much for the smaller replacement fighter Manuel Vargas.
In the third round, Donaire Jr. swayed left and then right landing before landing an uppercut that floored Vargas for good with 1:33 remaining.
"I just saw the opening," said Donaire Jr. afterwards. "I went right threw a punch then moved left and knocked him out."
With champion Manny Pacquiao in attendance, Donaire Jr. said the pound-4-pound king’s appearance motivated him and the other Pinoys on the card.
"I’m glad that he was here. It made me work harder," said Donaire Jr. of Pacquiao. "It just shows you that we’re all supporting each other."
Pacquiao attended the event to not only support the Pinoy boxers but also raise awareness for Z Gorres, who suffered a brain hemorrhage last November. Pacquiao asked those in attendance to attend a fundraising dinner to benefit Gorres. (Joseph Pimentel/AJPress)
( Published February 17, 2010 in Asian Journal Los Angeles p. A1 )
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