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Philippines, 20 May 2026 |
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Llover Has to Win Big to Boost Ranking By Teodoro Medina Reynoso PhilBoxing.com Mon, 11 Aug 2025  Kenneth Llover. Orient-Pacific bantamweight champion Kenneth Llover needs to win impressively in his scheduled fight against Panamian veteran two-time world titlist Luis Concepción to boost his rankings particularly with the World Boxing Council (WBC). Despite his being rated by the Ring Magazine and being champion in the division in the OPBF, the WBC's main regional affiliate in the Asia-Pacific, Llover is only ranked #14 by the WBC in its latest ratings. This just a notch higher than his last ranking by the boxing body. Incidentally, boxrec.com rates him as #20 in the Japanese-dominated weight class. Analysts presumed such low ranking has been due to his quite lengthy inactivity. Llover last fought when he scored back to back first round knockouts against Japanese Keita Kurihara and Tulio Dekanarudo in Japan, completing his conquest of the OPBF bantamweight crown in December 2024 and March 2025. It is therefore incumbent upon Llover to win his next bout against Concepcion and win impressively to put him into top ten, or preferably top five in the WBC ranking, and place him in a better position to vie for the world title. Junto Nakatani is the current WBC bantamweight champion but he is also under consideration to be the next challenger of undisputed world super bantamweight king Naoya Inoue this December or early next year. In such eventuality, Nakatani will be forced to vacate his WBC and likewise his IBF belts to focus on his challenge of Inoue. Llover needs to get higher ranking at bantamweight to put himself into contention. He therefore needs to win big against Concepcion who though presently unranked has the credentials and capabilities to pose Llover problems and God forbid, spoil his world title ambitions. The young Llover, only 22, is unbeaten in 14 bouts, with 10 of his wins coming by knockout. Concepcion was former world titlist in the flyweight and super flyweight in 2017-2018. Though he has 11 losses in 51 total bouts, most of these came against top name fighters such as Hernan "Tyson" Marquez whom he fought four times, Khalid Yafai and then unbeaten Edward Moloney. His last fight was a points loss to David Cuellar who went on to challenge Nakatani recently and lost by 2nd round TKO. However "El Nica" has 29 knockouts in his 40 wins making him a dangerous opponent. 'Lover Boy' Llover will be careful but definitely not show him any love when they clash on Sunday, August 17, 2025 at the Winford Resort Hotel and Casino in Manila. "I am excited to fight in front of my countrymen again. Luis Concepción is a warrior; he is aggressive and experienced. I expect him to bring the fight. This is going to be an explosive night," Llover said. The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.  |
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