It’s time to grade the fighters who performed on Saturday night’s “Pinoy Power 2” PPV TV card in Las Vegas.
This was, overall, a subpar PPV show and not really worth the price. But, with boxing, you pays your money and you takes your chances,
It wasn’t the worst PPV offering ever and it was far from being one of the best. It fell, like poor Steven Luevano, in the middle somewhere.
I do wonder if the Filipino centric series can be sustained. Is there enough depth of Pinoy ring talent to keep this going? We shall see what we shall see.
So Professor Marley hereby grades the students thusly:
RACHEL MARCIAL DONAIRE–Impeccably dressed and coiffed, I prefer her hairstyle to the chopped up one hubby Nonito sported. She looked worried on camera at appropriate times. Look, I kid about Mrs. D and her mixing up Larry Merchant and Al Bernstein but no one can she say she is not a 100 percent advocate for her lesser half. What Bernie Vee’s problem is with Rachel I don’t understand. GRADE: B.
NONITO DONAIRE: Needs more focus on being a fighter, less time spent on being a multimedia celebrity…He won, he won ugly and he ran away to fight another day. Needs to stop carrying his left hand down by his hip. Maybe he should consider remaining at 115 pounds if a brawler like Rafael Concepcion gives him such difficulty. Donaire’s future is still bright. He just has some mechanical issues to address, the sooner the better. I still remain unconvinced he will achieve superstar status. GRADE; B+.
MARK MELLIGEN: He put the power in “Pinoy Power 2.” Throws punches with bad intentions and fans eat that up like hot popcorn. Sure, zapping 10 day sub Zepeda was no big deal but you had to like how Double M handled his business. Figures to improve. No wonder Bob Arum was grinning that squirrel with nuts in both cheeks smile of his. Arum sees Melligen as a fighter who can be built to a higher stature. GRADE: A-.
BERNABE CONCEPCION: Don’t tell me he did not hear the bell. What is he, deaf? I do know what he did, nailing a hands down Luevano with a 1-2 which dropped to the canvas, was really dumb. Ref Jay Nady had clearly yelled “time.” Even handler Coach Freddie Roach conceded that. Because Pinoy Idol Manny Pacquiao is his manager and Roach his trainer, Arum quickly announced an instant rematch. Concepcion was basically lost in a fog for most of the bout, allowing Luevano to keep him at long distance. Bernabe was getting a boxing lesson and Luevano was let the fans be damned, doing what suited his purposes. Luevano is dull to watch but his skill level seems markedly above Bernabe’s. Maybe Master Mechanic Roach can do a major overhaul here because it’;s obvious that BC can whack GRADE: D and I was tempted to give him an F for flunking.
STEVEN LUEVANO: Can’t take a punch between rounds, I guess. Forget that protect yourself at all times bit because both boxers have to follow the rules. Luevano seemed to be in cruise control as he kept Concepcion at a harmless distance. GRADE: A+.
ANTHONY PETERSON: Who says watching a slick boxer do his thing has to be a snore bore? Returning from a one year layoff and knee surgery, Peterson boxed intelligently and Vampiro Arceo could only suck on his own blood. Arceo’s aggression and Peterson’s smooth style made for an entertaining if one sided bout. GRADE; B+.
