One Sport: Kenneth Llover vs. Luis Miguel Concepción Montiel RBR

"Mano a mano: Philippines vs. Panamá"

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...how's that for a clarion roll-call?

 

Kenneth Llover vs. Luis Miguel Concepción Montiel, 10 rounds @ bantamweight

 

Kenneth "The Lover Boy" Llover is a 22 year old Filipino southpaw with a 14-0 record. More than half of his bouts have been for various domestic & regional titles at bantamweight. (LuzProBa, PBF, GAB, WBC Asian Continental, WBO Asia Youth Pacific, and OPBF), most recently blitzing Japanese journeyman Keita Kurihara in one round.

Luis "El Nica" Concepción was at one time a force at flyweight and super fly, capturing the WBA championship in both divisions. He boasts twice as many knockouts at Llover has pro fights - but he is turning 40 in seven weeks, and coming off a 22 month layoff after being stopped in his bantam debut by David Cuellar Contreras.

 

Crazy, right? And from his weathered face and hairline, looks more like he's on the cusp of 60 than 40.

 

Round 1

Llover tries pressing in and establishing right jab early but Concepción shuts that down. Concepción insists upon being the aggressor here, swooping in with lead uppercuts on the belly. Llover catches him on the way inside and grabs him by the head with right glove and starts punching him with the left several times while still keeping his neck wrapped still. The ref pushes them apart, while Concepción gives Llover a warning glare (that speaks volumes transcending language: you wanna make it rough & dirty? BET). Llover gets walked into the ropes but is light on his feet, bouncing side to side, popping quick jabs. Concepción is put in a headlock diving in working the body. Then another headlock. Uppercut and right hook combo by Llover springing off the ropes. A pair of jabs threaded between the gloves as the now infuriated Concepción flings himself in throwing power shots.

10-9 Llover

 

Round 2

Concepción is caught lunge-stepping and left-jabbing his way in by a 1-2 to his chest and quick slapping right hook on the face. He tries attacking now with a jab and uppercut, but Llover pulls the same trick as in round 1 - catching Concepción's left glove and trapping it with his right arm, holding and hitting. Concepción looks pissed. Llover pot shotting with southpaw 1-2s outside. Concepción struggling to get past his reach, and when he does Llover snakes an arm around his neck and leans down on him. Concepción has been put in at least a dozen headlocks at this point in the match. Concepción is stalking, pushing up the jab, but unable to get a bead on Llover as he dashes laterally and frequently ducks only to come up for air in a different spot. The commentators are comparing him with a prime Manny Pacquiao (as has the Filipino press, at length) - and the jury's out as to whether his speed, power, and overall class belong in the same breath as Pac's - but in terms of footwork, yeah, very reminiscent. And he's southpaw. And has the Pac haircut, so yeah.

Actually, about that speed and power...

Concepción tried jabbing in and Llover used his right glove to nudge Concepción's left down, then retracted it and whipped out a right hook all in the blink of an eye. Concepción ROCKED. Left uppercut on a slouched Concepción and down he goes. Llover has a crazed look in his widened eyes, ready to pounce. Concepción up but very woozy and saved by the bell as Llover charges at him.

10-8 Llover

20-17 Llover

 

Round 3

Concepción is showing tons of guts, responding to a disastrous end of the previous round by charging hard at Llover, spamming power salvos with KO intentions behind them. He's just facing too many disadvantages here - Llover is much younger, bigger, faster, and perhaps most importantly longer. Concepción is getting tagged a few times before he can even step into range, let alone land. DOWN HE GOES AGAIN, force-fed a series of left uppercuts while rushing Llover with overhands. Concepción up and battling on, looking ragged but very determimed. Llover holds and hits again. Even the homer Filipino commentators are saying the ref should take a point or at least warn him for that. Concepción selling out, diving in with heavy right hands, alternatingly low and high, looking to either drill a hole through Llover's abdomen or separate his neck from his shoulders. Llover sinking into the ropes, bouncing in toward Concepción, and catching him in clinches.

10-8 Llover

30-25 Llover

 

I rooted against him throughout his biggest rivalry (with Hernán Márquez, although I was a fan of both of them), but yeah he deserved far more than he probably got - and now being fed to a huge prospect half his age is sad to watch.

 

This is incredibly brave stuff from El Nica. He's fighting like he wants to win and knows he can only do so by knockout.

Llover not moving around much anymore, getting kind of lazy and sitting on the ropes, using their buoyancy to either turbo-charge his flurries or launch him into a clinch. Concepción can't get close with any of his shots without eating counters or getting grabbed, but he keeps trying.

40-34 Llover

 

Round 5

Concepción exchanges jabs with Llover, fencing cautiously as they jockey for position. Llover ends up almost backed into the ropes and Concepción nails him with HIS BEST SHOT ALL DAY. Quick overhand right flush on Llover's temple. Llover nods respectfully and gives him a fist-bump as if to say "wow I felt that. Great shot, old man". Llover standing up tall and throwing jabs and straight combos, so Concepción lowers his center of gravity, forcing Llover to reach down as he bows completely forward bringing his face level with his waist. Concepción walks into a couple of hard left hands and keeps pressing forward. Left upperhook around the guard by Concepción, then a looping right around the other side. Concepción swarming and shoeshining the body until Llover puts him in - guess what? A headlock.

10-9 Concepción, close

 

Concepción took some punishment in that round but he also busted out some really slick defensive moments where he made Llover miss entire 3-4 punch combos by leaning away and to his side and turning his neck in time with them.

Pretty inspirational display of not just heart but skill for a washed up inactive 39 year old flyweight.

 

Round 6

Llover looks to be locking in now. No more smile, on the hunt, jabbing intently. Concepción throws a right at the same time Llover is throwing a left - and just as every other time such a sequence has occurred so far, that ends up with Llover putting him in a headlock. Concepción ducking in now, shredding the chest of Llover with hooks. Llover takes half a step back and nails Concepción in the nose with a straight left. Another left by Llover, now a chopping right hook. Concepción too tired to bother maneuvering his gloves up to defend himself, just focused on staying in Llover's chest and getting shots off. 100% offense mode. BIG RIGHT HAND, sudden burst of speed & precision from Concepción! Llover is on the ropes. Concepción plugging with that right hand but Llover snatching it from midair, pulling Concepción into clinches.

10-9 Llover, close

59-53 Llover