What’s with all this hot air, and that is all it is, about whether or not Pinoy prospect Bernabe Concepcion heard the bell ending the seventh round of his Saturday night title bout against champ Steven Luevano?
What’s all the blather, and that’s all it is, about referee Jay Nady wrongly accusing the Filipino prospect and Manny Pacquiao prot?g? of intentionally hammering a hands down Luevano after the bell had sounded and Nady had shouted, “Time!”
Some lesser enlightened fans may be confusing their fouls. Intentional or accidental is an issue regarding headbutts and low blows but, when it comes to whacking a guy after the round is completed, that is “a crime” of strict liability.
Meaning that the reason for the late hit and what, if anything, was in Concepcion’s mind when he threw a two punch combination which landed squarely in Luevano’s face and dropped him, is immaterial.
Hitting after the bell is either you did or you didn’t foul.
Obviously, if Luevano had not fallen to the canvas like a sack of potatoes, Nady might have considered another option than a DQ. He could have assessed a two point point penalty against Concepcion.
But I don’t want to hear that Bernabe couldn’t hear the bell and/or Nady’s yelling “time.”
Concepcion, from Virac, Cataduanes, is a tender age 21 but when that final round was finished, he had 195 pro rounds under his belt.
This was not some pro novice or overeager amateur kid.
Lost in the shuffle here is the surprising official scoring with two judges only favoring Luevano by a 67-66 margin while the third judge had the Pinoy ahead by the same margin,.
Well, now we know trainer Robert Garcia’s world champion’s weakness.
Luevano can’t take a punch…thrown after the bell.
Let’s not go overboard in kicking Bernabe in the backside.
He was frustrated by an inability to penetrate Luevano’s clever long range boxing and the frustration built up over 21 long minutes of action.
The first “clean shot” he had against Luevano came when the seventh round was clearly over.
Except it was a dirty shot, not a clean one, given the timing.
Bernabe made a youthful mistake but who’s to say this won’t fire him up enough that he comes back in the December rematch to dethrone Luevano?
I know one thing, Bernabe won’t throw any punches then after the bell has sounded.
Bernabe erred, he was correctly immediately judged guilty and his punishment was a DQ defeat.
There is no need for a, pardon the expression, hearing.
