Bernabe Concepcion.
LOS ANGELES, California ? Despite losing his last fight by 3rd round knockout to Juan Carlos Burgos, ring experts do not consider Adam Carrera a pushover and are not ruling an upset win over North American Boxing Federation (NABF) super bantamweight champion Bernabe Concepcion when they collide in a 10-round non-title fight on July 26 in the undercard of the Miguel Cotto versus Antonio Margarito 12-round world welterweight rumble at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
?Carrera is not yet over the hill and is not stranger to a Filipino fighter,? said boxing trainer Hipolito Sebastian Sr. who once handled world-ranked Hector Zaldivar and junior featherweight contender Felipe Sisneros.
Sebastian, 62, said Carrera, a natural featherweight, is only 25 years old and is itching to climb back in the win column to improve his ranking. Carrera, he said, is also eyeing a title shot at Israel Vasquez?s WBC super bantamweight jewels ?and he must score a win over the fancied Concepcion (25-1, 14 KOs) to realize his dream.?
Carrera (19-3, 8 KOs), according to Sebastian, was only 19 when he pounded out a unanimous decision win over veteran Filipino prospect Ronnie Longkait on September 20, 2002 at the Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas to post his eight straight win against no defeat.
Carrera, nicknamed ?El Torito?, once fought for the United States Boxing Association (USBA) super bantamweight title but lost on points to Mike Oliver on Sept. 28, 2006. He bounced back a year later by whipping Juan Ruiz in a 10-round non-title tiff in Ontario, California.
Carrera also once held Concepcion?s title he won by knocking out Julio Gamboa in the 7th round at the Spotlight 29 Casino in Coachella, California on June 24, 2005.
Concepcion, 20, said he does not underestimate his opponents, including Carrera. ?Pareho lang kami na marunong sumuntok kaya hindi tayo dapat magkumpiansa,? said Concepcion, who stopped Torrence Daniels in two rounds on April 26 at the Plaza de Toros Juriquilla, Queretaro, Mexico to keep his NABF crown.
The Filipino ring sensation has logged more than 50 rounds in his sparring sessions under the watchful eyes of Hall of Famer coach Freddie Roach at the Wild Card gym in Hollywood. He will be assisted at ringside by his manager Aljoe Jaro, who will plane in on July 19, and WBC ring physician Dr. Allan L. Recto who has been designated as his cut man.
WBC lightweight champion Manny Pacquiao, Concepcion?s major sponsor in the United States, will also watch the fight at ringside.
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