Bernabe Concepcion.
LAREDO, Texas ? After spending some time in the Philippines to visit areas ravaged by typhoon ?Frank? starting July 3, newly crowned World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight champion Manny Pacquiao is expected to be back in Las Vegas, Nevada to be at ringside when North American Boxing Federation (NABF) super bantamweight champion Bernabe Concepcion fights against a still unnamed foe in a 10-round non-title scrapper underneath the Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito 12-round main event at the MGM Grand.
International Boxing Federation (IBF) welterweight champion Margarito (36-5, 26 KOs) will collide in a unification title fight with World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight champion Cotto (32-0, 26 KOs).
Pacquiao, who is helping chart Concepcion?s future as a prizefighter, was set to leave for Manila from Los Angeles on July 2 (L.A. time) where a grand motorcade arranged by Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) secretary Joselito ?Lito? Atienza awaits him and his entourage that included his wife Jinkee and bosom friend Rex ?Wakee? Salud and Fr. Marlon Beof, among other members of Team Pacquiao.
Beof, who is based in New Jersey, wants to accompany Pacquiao when the popular boxing gem visits the calamity areas.
After a courtesy call to Malacanang where he will be presented to Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Pacquiao, 29, will fly to southern Philippines to visit and possibly assist typhoon victims that were mostly Visayans in the provinces of Negros and Iloilo.
He will also fly home to General Santos City where a grand welcome and celebration will be held led by local officials and relatives.
Third week of July, Pacquiao is expected to pack up and fly to Los Angeles before motoring to Las Vegas. Concepcion, 20, one of the only few boxing personalities allowed to temporarily stay in Pacquiao?s apartment at La Brea, is currently in Los Angeles revving up for the fight that could bring him nearer the world title shot.
Concepcion (25-1, 14 KOs), will be brought to Las Vegas from Los Angeles by Texas-based doctor Allan Recto, who is a WBC-licensed ring physician and one of Pacquiao?s close associates.
?Pacquiao cares a lot for Concepcion and he wants him to also become world champion,? said Recto, who is scheduled to meet WBC president Don Jose Sulaiman in Mexico City on July 4.
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