A Weekend Worth Discussing.

So.

Props to Nonito Donaire for fighting a man who weighed in an entire weight class heavier, Rafael Concepcion. Even though the Filipino Flash had subtle problems here and there, mainly with the punching power of Concepcion and the fact he keeps his hands low, (reminiscent of a Roy Jones Jr. we also saw brief glimpses of this weekend) he still managed to dictate the pace and distance, usually hitting the shorter man at will.

But still, the man aspiring to walk in Pacquiao's shoes showed heart and courage in fighting an opponent with a high KO percentage and a 10 lb weight advantage: I'm sure that Pacquiao is proud indeed. Time will tell whether Donaire can successfully climb the ladder, as Darchinyan has already fallen short of his promise to climb as high as the Filipino Icon.

And what's a weekend of boxing without some controversy? I liked Bernabe Concepcion coming into his title fight against Steven Luevano; the first round seemed indicative of Concepcion's speed, punching power, and footwork to dart in and out, obvious teachings of the esteemed Freddie Roach. However, as the middle rounds progressed, Bernabe seemed hesitant, almost afraid of Luevano's right jab, which he flicked out to maintain range rather than to make contact. However, near the end of the last round, Bernabe lunged in and seemed to drain the life out of Luevano with every body shot, and Steven smiled as he stumbled, dropping his hands to his sides. With the heavily pro-Filipino crowd jeering on the challenger, Bernabe rushed in for a quick left and paralyzing right, seconds after the bell to end the round.

Luevano took several mintues to regain consciousness and won the fight via DQ; referee Jay Nady argued the hit was a flagrant foul. But still, props to Freddie Roach who was angered by the decision, but did admit to the hit being late and the decision being justified; he only wanted both camps and the crowd to know that it was not intentional and he would be ready for a re-match at any time. Bob Arum has his sights set on December.

And how about Roy Jones Jr. With a throw-back performance that reminded us all of better days, he danced around and generally humiliated an out-classed Jeff Lacy, whose career should no longer be in question: his time as a prize fighter is over. He was a 2000 Olympian, a world title-holder, and has nothing to be ashamed of. As long as he calls it quits now...

Jones, on the other hand, juked and jived his way to a 10th round TKO, setting himself up for another B-level fight against Australian Danny Green for a piece of the Cruiserweight crown, which would be Jones' fifth title in as many weight classes. I'm sure he'll win. And I'm sure it won't do anything to tarnish or enhance the already stunning career of a P4P pastime.