Concepcion Kayoes Aj Banal in 10th
By Dennis Principe - taken from www.fightnews.com

July 26, 2008 - What was expected to be a lively Saturday night turned out dark for hot prospect AJ "Bazooka" Banal, who got iced in the 10th round and lost by knockout to Rafael "El Torito" Concepcion of Panama in a bout for the WBA interim super flyweight title at the Cebu City Coliseum in this city.

The end came at 2:35 of the 10th canto when a painstaking Concepcion felled Banal with a right to the face in the neutral corner. Banal, dropped to his knees and refused to stand up despite prodding from his corner until referee Raul Caiz, Jr. reached the count. Banal looked on his way to a smashing victory when he bloodied Concepcion's nose in the middle of the opening round with a well-timed right uppercut. From there, Concepcion clinched most of the time as Banal kept on peppering the Panamanian with right-left combos and counter-punches. "I was nervous the first few rounds but I knew I can catch him later with a body shot," said Concepcion during a post-fight interview. Concepcion, whose reputation in surmounting difficulties was validated in this fight, worked on Banal's already frail body. The win upped Concepcion's record to 11-2-1, 7 KOs while Banal drops to 17-1-1, 14 KOs.

MELINDO WIN WBA I/C 108 LBS. TITLE

Cagayan de Oro native and Banal's ALA Gym stablemate Milan Melindo won a 12-round unanimous decision verdict over another Panamanian, Carlo Melo, to snatch the WBA Intercontinental light flyweight crown. Scorecards were: 117-111, 116-112, 117-111.