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BANAL-CONCEPCION CONTRACT SIGNED; MELINDO TAKES ON MELO

PhilBoxing.com




It?s final. The deal has been sealed and delivered.

International matchmaker nonpareil Sampson Lewkowicz once more wrapped up his latest masterpiece?the Banal-Concepcion WBA superfly titlemaker?for delivery as a month-end ring explosive in Cebu City. AJ ?Bazooka? Banal is currently WBA No. 3 while Panamanian Rafael ?Little Bull? Concepcion is WBA No. 5.

In a press conference held on June 16 at the Sheraton Hotel in Panama City, Lewkowicz signed the contract with Concepcion manager Damon de Berry in the presence of WBA Rating Committee Chairman, Jose Oliver Gomez. The unanticipated break of Banal for the WBA super flyweight title is now final and official. Like Banal, the vacancy at the top post of WBA superfly division gave Concepcion a shot to go beyond regional achievements. Concepcion holds the WBA Fedelatin flyweight and WBC Fecarbox super flyweight titles since 2005 while Banal controls the WBO Asia Pacific Youth super flyweight kingdowm and defended it successfully against Mexican Jovanny Soto in Dec 2007. Banal is also the No. 1 contender for the IBF super flyweight crown.

Another deal clinched by the Picasso of world professional boxing, and made official during the press conference, was the WBA Intercontinental minimumweight championship bout between Milan ?Milenyo? Melindo and Panamanian Carlos ?Shanghai? Melo. Melindo is currently the WBO Asia Pacific minimumweight champion while Melo used to hold the WBA Fedecentro and Fedecaribe titles from 2004 to 2005 and left undefeated.

The press conference was called liekwise to confirm and announce the double championship battle for the WBA-IBF super bantamweight titles between WBA supremo Celestino ?Pelenchin? Caballero and IBF king Steve ?The Canadian Kid? Molitor that will take place on Nov 21 at the Casino Rama in Ontario, Canada. It will be the fifth crown defense stint of both Caballero for the WBA division and of Canadian Molitor for the IBF category.

?To make history in boxing, a champion must humbly face other champions to show his value, that he is a true champion,? Lewkowicz said during the press conference as reported in the Latin Boxing online newsmagazine NotiFight.com.

In a matchup carved by the hands of a maestro, the Banal-Concepcion salvo on July 26 at the New Cebu Coliseum will be a festival of a stunning encounter of fighters not afraid to bring the others to the mat for good. The event will be brought to you by ALA Promotions in association with Golden Boy Promotions, and will be broadcasted live overseas, including Panama, by the country?s largest multimedia and entertainment institution ABS-CBN Broadcasting Company.

TOP PHOTO: (From left to right) Panamanian minimumweight Carlos Melo, WBA super bantamweight champion Celestino Caballero, international matchmaker nonpareil Sampson ?Picasso? Lewkowicz, WBC super bantamweight champion Steve Molitor, Panamanian flyweight Rafael Concepcion, and WBA ratings committee chairman Jose Gomez.




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