KONCZ DENIES RESPONSIBILITY FOR REPLACING FARENAS WITH CONCEPCION FOR MIKEY GARCIA

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Canelo Demands $100 Million for Crawford Rematch

By Dong Secuya

When fight figures cross into nine-digit guarantees, the conversation usually turns cynica…

Farenas.

Manny Pacquiao?s adviser Michael Koncz of MP Promotions denies responsibility for replacing Gerry Penalosa?s prot?g? Michael ?Hammer Fist? Farenas with former two-time featherweight title challenger Bernabe Concepcion in a scheduled fight against undefeated North American Boxing Federation and WBO North American Boxing Organization featherweight champion Miguel Angel ?Mikey? Garcia at the Coliseo Roberto Clemente in San Juan, Puerto Rico on March 10.

The main event features a title rematch between WBO champion Orlando Salido of Mexico and Puerto Rico?s former champion from whom Salido won the title, Juan Manuel ?Juanma? Lopez. Salido won the title in a stunning 8th round TKO last April 16, 2011.

Although Penalosa doesn?t believe Koncz?s claim the Pacquiao adviser told the Manila Standard that Garcia?s manager Cameron Dunking refused to accept the fight because Farenas was allegedly known to use his head and Dunkin didn?t want to risk Garcia getting cut.

Penalosa was upset because he had called off a scheduled Februarey 28 fight for Farenas to accept the Garcia fight for which his fighter had been promised a $50,000 purse.

The 24 year old Concepcion has a record of 29-5-1 with 15 knockouts and twice fought for the WBO featherweight title but lost.

He was disqualified in a fight against Steve Luevano when he hit him after the bell had sounded at the end of round 7 with Luevano acting so he could convince referee Jay Nady to disqualify Concepcion which he did on August 15, 2009.

He then fought Juan Manuel ?Juanma? Marquez who had won the title from Luevano but after dropping Marquez at the end of round one was himself dropped in round two and lost by a TKO.

Mikey Garcia is coming off back-to-back stoppages winning the NABF/WBO NABO titles via a 4th round knockout of Rafael Guzman at the Staples Center on June 4, 2011 before winning by a 4th round TKO over Juan Carlos Martinez at the Theater of Madison Square Garden on October 22, 2011.

Mikey is the brother of former world champion Robert Garcia who is the trainer of Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire who faces former champion Wilfredo Vazquez Jr in San Antonio on February 4 for the vacant WBO super bantamweight title.