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Philippines, 20 Feb 2026 |
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DISAPPOINTED FILIPINO BOXER ERNIE SANCHEZ BLAMES MICHAEL KONCZ FOR CANCELLATION OF HIS FIGHT AGAINST DIEGO MAGDALENO By Carlos Costa PhilBoxing.com Wed, 12 Feb 2014  The televised fight in Hawaii Gardens, California, between Filipino hopeful Ernie Sanchez and world-ranked super featherweight Diego Magdaleno (24-1, 9 KO's) will not happen this Saturday (Feb 15) as planned, because the promotion company Top Rank changed its mind and decided to pull the plug and Ernie Sanchez himself feels that Michael Koncz is to blame. It was going to be a great chance for 22-year-old Ernie Sanchez (14-5, 5 KO's) as Magdaleno is a double world-rated Top Rank boxer, one of the most popular well-known fighters in the division. Instead, Diego Magdaleno, 27, will face Mexican late-sub Jorge "El Feroz" Pazos (14-6-1, 8 KO's), a boxer who has lost 4 of his last 5 fights, with three loses in a row, including a defeat by points last year in Cebu. According to boxer Ernie Sanchez, only Michael Koncz, the adviser of Manny Pacquiao, is responsible for the sad, unfair cancellation. "It's very painful what Michael Koncz did to us," added Brico Santig, Sanchez's manager. "Why Koncz did this evil thing? We don't know. Maybe Michael Koncz suffers of delusions of grandeur, dreaming that he is some sort of Godfather of Filipino boxing. Which he is not. "About the promoter Top Rank? Top Rank is trying to book Ernie Sanchez in some future event. I think that Matchmaker Brad Goodman and Top Rank are very good promoters. But we feel that Michael Koncz wants to control everything just because he works as adviser for Manny. "But what kind of adviser? The fact is that most Filipinos feel that it is because of Koncz's advice that Manny got into serious tax problems with the United States Government. Koncz is not even an American. Brother, tax problems in the USA is not a joke. We hope some day we'll know the whole truth about it. "In addition, many boxing fans point their index finger at Koncz for the the failed negotiations of the Mayweather-Pacquiao mega fight, which never took place and nobody knows if it would ever happen." "See? It seems that when things get a turn for the worse, it is because Koncz is in the middle... And when will he take his hands off of Filipino boxing we don't know. By the way, Top Rank lost money because they bought expensive return tickets for our team from the Philippines to the California and now we are not using those tickets," continued Brico Santig today. "And there is more. Sometime ago, Ernie Sanchez was handled by Gensan boxing manager Rey Golingan and Ernie had two fights in US. Then, after the contract expired, there was a 9-month lay off. Time passed and Ernie Sanchez wanted me to be his manager so that he could have guidance in his boxing career and we signed a contract. The contract is recognized, valid and registered by the GAB (Philippines Games and Amusement Board). "And we are proud of our contract. Sanchez and me (Brico Santig) respect our contract and have good, close relationship. But what paper can Koncz show? None." It's unknown what specific steps are being taken by the GAB to protect boxer Ernie Sanchez. However, Santig feels that Koncz should be unmasked and being declared persona non-grata in the country. "But that is not all. There is much more. Before, when Koncz helped to fix Ernie's two fights in America, Ernie got so very little money. Specifically, for the first fight, the purse was supposed to be $6,500 dollars. Ernie got about $ 1,325 only. "Then, the second fight was supposed to be for about $7,500 dollars. Ernie got about $1,450. It's just about 20%, according to Ernie. "About all of this, we are talking to our lawyer and partners and tomorrow (Feb 13) we will file an affidavit," said Brico Santig, whose boxing promotion company has issued a statement today: STATEMENT: SANCHEZ BLAMES KONCZ FOR FIGHT CANCELLATION Filipino boxer Ernie Sanchez supported the claim of his manager Brico Santig that Michael Koncz has no legal basis to meddle in his fight transactions, saying: ?I did not sign any legal contract with the Canadian adviser of Manny Pacquiao." ?I am wondering why somebody is trying to interfere with my fight. Wala naman silang karapatan,? said Sanchez, obviously referring to Koncz whom he blames for the cancellation of his scheduled fight in the U.S. Sanchez signed a 10-round super featherweight fight with Diego Magdaleno slated on Sunday (Feb. 15) at the Robert Lee Center in Hawaiian Garden, California. It was a fight that could boost the ring career of Sanchez who now has a 14-5 win-loss record. Magdaleno is one of top contenders in the division with 24-1 slate. The Games and Amusement Board, however, put Sanchez?s record at 12-5 because it does not recognize his two fights in the U.S. that were arranged by Konzz without its approval. But two days before his supposed flight to the US, the fight promoter, Brad Goodman, informed Filipino matchmaker Ronald Jerez that Sanchez? s fight would not push through because Koncz is claiming management rights over Sanchez. Santig says that Koncz is using his close relationship with Pacquiao to get his way. That?s why Goodman was forced to give in, eventually leading to the cancellation of the Sanchez?s fight. ?I?m very disappointed. Ang laban na ito ay malaking opportunity for me. Nagkautang na po ako para iwan sa pamilya ko habang wala ako kasi ang alam ko tuloy na tuloy na, may tiket na nga po ako, tapos biglang nalaman ko na lang hindi na tuloy,? said Sanchez. Jerez said he had arranged the fight with Brad Goodman and everything has been set. ?Naghanda ng husto yung bata para sa labang ito. On my part naman, inayos ko na lahat ang tickets, authority from GAB (Games and Amusement Board) and signed contract. Nakakalungkot naman na may mga taong sumisira sa kinabukasan ng mga Filipino boxers.? Click here to view a list of other articles written by Carlos Costa.  |
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