Against Donaire, Concepcion overweight, over the line

STEVE MARCUS / LAS VEGAS SUN

Rafael Concepcion, left, takes a punch from Nonito Donaire as referee Vic Drakulich looks on during Saturday’s interim WBA super flyweight title bout at the Hard Rock Hotel. Donaire won by unanimous decision even though his opponent weighed in at 4 1/2 pounds over the 115-pound limit.

By Jeff Haney

Monday, Aug. 17, 2009 | 2 a.m.

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In a year’s worth of boxing cards, you won’t find a fighter who showed more — well, we’ll be polite and call it chutzpah — than Rafael Concepcion did this weekend at the Hard Rock Hotel.

First, Concepcion weighed in at 119 1/2 pounds for his headlining bout against Nonito Donaire at the Joint, 4 1/2 pounds above the super flyweight limit set for the fight. (That cost him a $13,000 fine to the Nevada Athletic Commission and would have cost him the title at stake, had he won.)

Next, Concepcion used his extra bulk — every pound counts in those lighter weight divisions — in an attempt to bully his opponent around the ring, making Donaire resort to foot speed and lateral movement, likely at the expense of his knockout power.

And then, after losing a 12-round unanimous decision Saturday night, Concepcion needled Donaire for declining to engage him in a toe-to-toe, heavy-fisted brawl. This after Donaire, who has height and reach advantages against Concepcion, prepared properly to stay within the 115-pound weight limit.

That’s like forcing a man to play chess without either of his rooks — and later taunting him for missing a good opportunity to castle.

But Concepcion missed the inherent irony as badly as he missed weight.

“I was expecting a fight, a real Filipino fighter, not a runner,” Concepcion said. “I came to fight, not to run. I just hope he has more of a warrior’s heart and (that) he would have exchanged a lot more.”

Donaire was gracious in front of the pay-per-view cameras, stating simply — and perhaps accurately — that if Concepcion had weighed in at 115, he would have found himself lying flat on the canvas somewhere in the early rounds of the fight.

To the delight of the pro-Philippines crowd, Donaire said he wished only to represent his people with honor. He dedicated the victory to the memory of Corazon Aquino.

Donaire, who retained his WBA super flyweight interim world title, let loose a little later with a litany of charges, however. He insinuated Concepcion wasn’t even trying to make weight during training camp, thereby showing little regard for his fans, for his Panamanian countrymen, for the fight promotion itself. He suggested Concepcion lacked courage and sportsmanship. He stopped just short of accusing Concepcion of disrespecting the Bing.

“He calls me a coward?” Donaire (22-1, 14 knockouts) said. “He had the extra weight. He didn’t prepare. He took advantage of people. I didn’t do that. I made sure I stayed true to my word and prepared for the fight the right way. Who’s the coward?

“It’s like he was playing a game, and that’s what really bothered me.”

War of words aside, Donaire ended up looking better in virtually every way against his more muscular opponent. Though he’s still best-known among boxing fans for his devastating knockout of Vic Darchinyan in 2007, Donaire displayed strong technical skills, body work and counterpunching against Concepcion (13-4-1). Fighting a bigger guy was an apt test for Donaire, who plans to move up in weight in a quest for world championship belts at 118 pounds, 122 pounds and maybe higher.

In a parting shot, Donaire speculated that Concepcion might have fallen victim to his devotion to boxing lore. In the days leading to the fight, Concepcion made it clear he treasured the 4-0 record that Panamanian boxers had compiled against Filipinos in world championship fights.

Concepcion included his victory against A.J. Banal for an interim title last year on the list, along with Anselmo Moreno’s victory against Rolly Matsushita (2008, bantamweight); Hilario Zapata’s victory against Dodie Boy Penalosa (1986, flyweight); and Alfonso Lopez’s victory against Erbito Salavarria (1976, flyweight).

Concepcion must have wanted to keep that record unblemished so dearly that he thought nothing of flouting the rules regarding weight limits, Donaire said.

Alas, the outcome of the fight was more reminiscent of Filipino great Flash Elorde’s unanimous-decision victory against Panama’s Ismael Laguna in a 1966 nontitle lightweight clash of future hall of famers.