Fernando Montiel vs Rafael Concepcion can Montiel defend his title
Fernando Montiel stunned the boxing world with a dramatic fourth round TKO victory over Hozumi Hasegawa on April 30 in Tokyo to add the WBC bantamweight title to his WBO title. Trailing after three rounds, Montiel responded by leveling Hasegawa with a huge left hook followed by an intense flurry of punches, forcing referee Laurence Cole to bring an end to the bout and silencing a boisterous Japanese crowd.
The victory helped to vault Montiel to the top of the division. The victory left many wondering what the next steps would be in the career of the Mexican champion. Apparently we now know the answer, as FightNews.com is reporting that Montiel will make his first defense of the unified bantamweight title against Rafael Concepcion at Tuxtla Gutierrez in Chiapas, Mexico on July 17 in a card put together by Zanfer Promotions.
Nicknamed “Torito” (Spanish for “Bull”), the 27-year-old Panamanian is no stranger to big fights despite having only 19 career bouts. Concepcion (14-4-1, 8 KOs) won the interim WBA super flyweight title in July 2008 when he knocked out AJ Banal in the 10th round of their fight in the Philippines. However, he lost the title in his first defense in November 2008 in Mexico City when he was stopped in the ninth round by Jorge Arce. His last shot at a world title came August 2009, when he dropped a unanimous decision to Nonito Donaire for the interim WBA super flyweight title. However, Concepcion was fined and unable to claim the title after missing the weight by six pounds, necessitating a permanent move up in weight class.
Montiel (41-2-2, 31 KOs) is known for having a devastating left hand despite being an orthodox boxer. As he proved against Hasegawa, he is capable of changing -- or ending -- a fight with one punch. He has had a meteoric rise through boxing division, starting when he won the WBO flyweight title in December 2000 with a seventh-round stoppage of Isidro Garcia in Obregon, Mexico.
He defended that title four times before successfully moving up in weight class to win the WBO super flyweight title with a sixth-round TKO of Pedro Alcazar in June 2002. However, he would lose that title to Mark Johnson in August 2003 via majority decision in a fight that would see Montiel hit the canvas in the fifth round. However, he would rebound by reclaiming the WBO super flyweight title with a unanimous decision victory over Pramuansak Posuwan in October 2005 before beating Jhonny Gonazlez in his next fight to claim the WBO bantamweight title.
Montiel has always been a large bantamweight, and he’ll certainly have a size advantage over Concepcion, who only recently moved up in weight. Concepcion is a tough fighter - sometimes too tough for his own good as evidenced by continuing to slug with Arce when retreat and a more tactical approach likely would have been the wiser option. Certainly, Montiel is one of the hardest punchers within the division, and it’s tough to imagine that trying to trade with Montiel is going to be a wise move for Concepcion.
At the end of the day, the difference in the fight might be experience and confidence. Concepcion has fought top opponents like Donaire and Arce, but he’s also lost to them. He really doesn’t have a win over a top-quality opponent. While he could hang around against Montiel, it’s unlikely that he’ll pose a serious threat. More likely, this is a fight that will bide some time for Montiel while a larger fight against a bigger name opponent such as the winner of a likely Jhonny Perez vs. Abner Mares rematch.
If Concepcion loses the fight, it won’t be due to ring rust. FightNews.com also reported that Concepcion will likely have a tune-up fight in Panama on June 19 against Luis Felipe Murillo. This should be nothing more than a glorified sparring session for Concepcion. Murillo (10-7, 5 KOs) is a journeyman (at best) who might offer some toughness but should pose little threat of hurting Concepcion or pushing him much harder than breaking a sweat.
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