TOO young to know the magnitude of his rising status as the next Lord of the Ring, Bernabe Concepcion continues his daily grind at a boxing gym in Binangonan, Rizal.
Dubbed by the boxing fraternity as the ?Real Deal,? the solidly-built 21-year-old native of Virac, Catanduanes has been dubbed “the next Manny Pacquiao.” Concepcion, though, remains unaffected by all the buzz happening around him.
Look at what he did to Kenyan Sande Otieno before an adoring crowd at the Big Dome recently. After dispatching the Kenyan by a 5th round technical knockout, which netted him the WBC Interrnational featherweight title, Concepcion wasn?t in the mood for chest-thumping. He knows that there?s beauty in letting an accomplishment speak for itself.
Fact was, Concepcion (28-1-1 win-loss-draw, 17 KOs). seemed ill-equipped for glory as fans swarmed around him on the ring. ?I?m still very far from being the next Pacquiao,? Concepcion, meek as a lamb, told a fan. ?He?s my idol and he?s helping me a lot.? Concepcion fights under MP Promotions, owned by the People?s Champ.
He?s right.
Inquirer columnist and popular boxing guru Recah Trinidad said the Bicolano is a very promising boxer but needs to do more to follow in Pacquiao?s footsteps.
?He has the power but needs to learn how to unleash ?impact? punches,? Trinidad observed, noting that Concepcion has the tendency to slam his punches, which diffuses some of his power. Trinidad said Concepcion must learn to ?spear punch.?
?But he?s young and time is on his side,? Trinidad added.
During his younger years, Pacquiao also lorded it over the WBC international featherweight title.
But fans can?t be blamed for pinning high hopes on Concepcion as the next Pacman. The Filipino ring idol has already made it clear that he will hang his gloves and concentrate on politics next year.
Sportsman-businessman Mike Ochosa had a ringside view of Concepcion?s demolition of Otieno. Ochosa provided commentary on the fight for a TV outfit.
Ochosa said the Filipino sensation has now developed solid footwork, which toughened his defense. ?Before, Abe was prone to getting hit. Right now, he?s become an elusive target,? said Ochosa.
Aljoe Jaro, Concepcion?s trainer-manager, said barring any hitches, his ward will fight in the undercard of the Pacquiao-Hatton bout on May 2 in Las Vegas.
Also in the air is a fight this year against either Oscar Larios or Steve Luevano, who are both world champions.
Possessed of incredible potential, Concepcion is not the lone heir-in-waiting to Pacquiao?s status. The Tacuyan brothers can lay claim to it as well.
Galvanized by a burning desire to reach the top of the world, the Tacuyan brothers are no ordinary teenagers. Carrying the pedigree of athletes who tasted glory in their prime, Orlando Jr. and Rolando don?t mask their intentions to hit the big-time in boxing by bringing honors to the country.
?My dream is to win the Olympic gold,? said Tacuyan Jr., who at 20 is three years older than Rolando. He is a freshman Hotel and Restaurant Management major at the University of Baguio.
Like his older brother, Rolando is also an Olympic hopeful. ?Winning the gold in the 2012 London Olympics is the ultimate.?
The Tacuyans are both members of the national training pool under the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines.
They grew up Barangay San Jose in Angeles City and, thanks to the proddings of their father Orlando Sr., a former national mainstay, took up boxing early. Their mother Nenita Dungca still holds the national record in the 800-meter run. She is now a policewoman detailed at Camp Crame.
In addition to their Olympic dreams, the Tacuyans aren?t closing the door on joining the professional ranks. ?Mayweather Jr. is my idol, but the Pacman has put the Philippines on top of the boxing world,? said Tacuyan Jr. ?Sure, I want to become Pacman someday.?
Longtime national coach Pat Gaspi said it?s too early to tell whether the Tacuyans are indeed the new Pacquiaos in the making. ?They are young and raw, but their fighting hearts cannot be questioned,? explained Gaspi, who took charge of the Tacuyans? training at the ABAP training camp in Baguio City.
Unlike other up-and-coming boxers, the Tacuyans have the heft and height to sizzle internationally. Junior is 5-foot-9 1/2, half an inch taller than Rolando. They can fight as featherweights or lightweights.
A silver medalist in the 2007 Thailand SEA Games, Junior packs a wallop in his right hook and with his longer reach, can take his foe out of rythmn with stinging jabs.
Joan Tipon, tipped as a future boxing superstar when he won the bantamweight gold in the 2005 Doha Asian Games, had a taste of the older Tacuyan brother?s fury during the 2007 National Open in Cagayan de Oro City. Tacuyan?s mind-boggling performance over Tipon created a frenzy of interest and cemented the status of the Pampangue?o as a rising star.
A veteran of the 2008 World Youth Boxing Championships in Guadalajara, Mexico, Rolando?s power is also feared in the junior ranks. His right straight could send his foe to dreamland.
?What he lacks in concentration, he makes up for with his strong punches,? said national coach Elmer Pamisa.
The young Tacuyan credits his diabetic father for nurturing his talent. ?Papa is a strict disciplinarian, so we always practice hard,? recalled Rolando, who took up the sport when he was eight.
Orlando Sr. and Jr. and Rolando, however, aren?t the only Tacuyans in boxing. Thirteen-year-old Fernando is also a budding boxer and will be tested come the 2009 National Open in Bacolod City.
?Boxing is pure magic for us,? said Orlando Jr.
