‘Ipe’ dropped Koncz to the floor with left-right combinations

‘Ipe’ dropped Koncz to the floor with left-right combinations

By EDDIE G. ALINEA


It looks like each time Manny Pacquiao’s self-anointed adviser Michael Koncz does something or make statements to make him look good in the eyes of his boss, always the opposite results happen.


Sometime last week, before the seven-division world champion left for New York to accept his third “Fighter of the Year” and his first “Fighter of the Decade” awards from the Boxing Writers Association of America, Koncz was again involved in a violent incident, this time earning the ire of multi-awarded actor Philip Salvador.


The incident, according to a member of the entertainment media who was there, during the launching of Pacquiao’s Aray Ko, Galing Ko” television promo for a pain reliever held in a Makati City where Koncz and Salvador, a martial arts practitioner, had a verbal altercation that led to a scuffle.


The source told the Manila Times Koncz, a Canadian member of the Team Pacquiao notorious for his insulting statements even to members of his team, fans and even the media, gave sarcastic remarks to a question posed by Salvador on something about the boxing icon’s congressional victory in the recent national elections.


Such remarks led Salvador, to throw combination of punches that fell Koncz to the floor where the actor continued pummeling him with lefts and rights even as Pacquiao himself watched elated.


Other witnesses heard Pacquiao shouting to Salvador, a good friend: “Sige pa, banatan mo pa.”


The confrontation, witnesses said, lasted for about 10 minutes after cooler heads, including Pacquiao’s wife Jinkee, legal adviser, Atty. Gacal and Eric Pineda succeeded in pacifying Koncz, while fellow actor Chris Aguilar prevailing on Salvador to stop attacking.


The fight ended with both of Koncz’s eyes blackened.

It was not the first time that Koncz earned the ire of people trying to get near to Pacquiao on many occasions.


When Pacquiao was training in Baguio city for his fight with Miguel Cotto, he once shoved a reporter trying to cover one of the champ’s training sessions.


The media man resisted though and, pointing a finger to the Canadian, told him, “ Don’t do that to a Filipino media men again.”


Koncz and the same reporter met again once, this time in Manila during a hastily called press conference where the Canadian mentioned something about receiving calls from Filipino media men earlier that day asking “stupid” questions.


When the obviously irked media man asked him what those “stupid” questions were, he could not answer prompting the former to tell him to stop heaping insulting remarks to Filipino newspapermen.


Even Pacquiao’s American physical conditioning coach Alex Ariza was reported to have slapped Koncz during an altercation after the latter suggested not to allow the former in Padquiao’s corner for that fight against Cotto.


It is no secret that even the Filipino’s chief trainer Freddie Roach has a running feud with Koncz who, reports are, has been trying all he can for Manny to fire the owner of the wild Card Gym in Los Angeles as fight tactician.

A Decade’s Journey / A Decade on the Road / A Decade on the Go / A Decade on the Move

By Robbie Pangilinan

Mobile. Best word that describes me. I am the type who simply cannot stay put. I am always on my feet and always on the go. I am a traveller and for a decade now, I have kept many experiences and memories gathered from the many places I visited in and out of the country.
Travelling is something I love doing. Aside from some glitches and hassles in immigration when going out of the Philippines, especially the US Immigration, there is nothing else that I do not like about travelling. Learning about different cultures, speaking other languages, trying out various cuisine and delicacies, meeting new friends, learning new lessons—all these bring me pleasure comparable to none.
I fell in love with the Land of the Rising Sun when I lived there with my mom and sisters from 2001 to 2008. Tokyo is a very clean and nice city. I also visited Saitama and Kyoto. Being a sports journalist, I am always fascinated with a country’s sports events. In Japan, sumo is considered the national sport. I also enjoy Japan’s martial arts such as judo, karate and modern kendō. Baseball is likewise very popular and Japan’s three-time MVP in baseball Ichiro Suzuki now hits homeruns in North American Major League Baseball, playing for the Seattle Mariners. Japan also bagged the Asian Cup (soccer) thrice and has been the venue for the Intercontinental Cup from 1981 to 2004. With South Korea, Japan co-hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Many Japanese also play golf. Car racing has gained widespread popularity, too.
Japanese culture gives me remarkable thrill, especially the beauty of their arts that include the traditional ikebana and origami, and the modern ones like manga and anime. I also like the evolved Japanese music inspired by Western influence called J-pop. One thing that is common to Filipinos and Japanese is that we both love to sing! In Japan, karaoke is still very popular and is considered a cultural activity. I particularly like Japan’s roads and transportation. All the roads are paved, their transportation network is very systematic, their cars are affordable, and they have many high-speed trains that takes you anywhere in the country.

Another country I like is Morocco. I went there in 1999 with my best friend Victor Valbuena who is the son-in-law of the owner of Rustan’s. We visited Morocco’s top tourist destinations like the medieval city of Marrakech, Rabat and of course, the great Shara Desert. Marrakech looks like the olden days—with a medina or marketplace with small boutiques, artisans and cafes. More about Marrakech...

I never thought a desert could look so good, until I saw the Sahara. It is unbelievably breathtaking with literally golden sand and a stunning backdrop of the Atlas Mountains. More about Morocco's top attractions ...

The sports lover in me is definitely attracted to Las Vegas, Nevada— the Entertainment Capital of the World popular for its casinos and hotels. Known as “The Mecca of Boxing” like the Madison Square Garden, Las Vegas is undoubtedly the most popular venue for boxing. It is known as the Boxing Capital of the World since the 1980s because the best fights in the history of boxing were held here. I witnessed the Pacquiao-dela Hoya fight here in 2008 and I echo what many people say, “There is nothing like seeing a fight live in Vegas.” Mandalay Bay Events Center, MGM Grand Garden Arena and the Caesars Palace are the most famous boxing venues in the world. I especially like the MGM Grand where I watched Pacman beat Cotto in 2009. MGM Grand is the largest hotel in the world when it opened in 1993 and now the second largest with 30 floors, the largest casino, outdoor pools, rivers, and waterfalls, the MGM Grand Garden Arena, shops, night clubs, and restaurants. Las Vegas hosted big sports events like the 2007 NBA All-Star Game, the NASCAR Sprint Cup, the UFC, the National Finals Rodeo and the NBA Summer League.

Another Nevada city I have visited is Reno, “The Biggest Little City in the World” also known for its casinos. There are numerous bars and clubs in downtown Reno for a great nightlife experience. The famous Lake Tahoe is a must-see. Here you can fish, swim, water-ski, wakeboard, parasail, and jet-ski. Reno is also popular as a skiing and snowboarding destination with 18 ski resorts. Reno boasts of a $1.5 million whitewater park on the Truckee River that hosts whitewater events the whole year.

San Francisco is another place I love. San Fo has become a popular international tourist destination with nice tourist spots like the Golden Gate Bridge, War Memorial and Performing Arts Center, Museum of Modern Art. It also has more than 200 lovely parks and beaches famous for surfing, and of course, a vibrant Filipino community. San Francisco is also the home of the old San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League and the San Francisco Giants of the Major League. I love the climate in SF which is ideal for outdoor sports.

But the climate I like best is in sunny Los Angeles. LA has an average of 320 sunshine days and only 35 days with rain, making it summer all year. The City of Angels is called the “Creative Capital of the World” because it is where Hollywood is and many artists, writers, filmmakers, actors, dancers and musicians live and work here. LA has 54 yearly film festivals including the annual Academy Awards, more than 800 museums including the Los Angeles County Museum of Arts, the Getty Center, and the Museum of Contemporary Art. And of course, LA is home of the Lakers, Clippers, Dodgers, and Kings and the location of the famous Staples Center, the premier venue for sports that also hosts the Grammy Awards.

I have also been to Frankfurt, the financial and transportation center of Germany. Frankfurt is one of the 10 most livable cities in the world.

In Asia, I have visited Malaysia and Singapore. The tourism campaign “Malaysia, Truly Asia” was worthwhile and attracted more than 7 million tourists. But I was there in 2008 with Noli Cruz for business. I was also in Singapore in 2009 for business, covering the Formula One Championship. I like Singapore because of its delicious cuisine and water sports. Singapore will host the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics.

Early this year, I went to Dallas, Texas for the Pacquiao-Clotty coverage. I was awestruck, like many other boxing fans, by the magnificent Cowboys Stadium, the largest domed stadium in the world with a full 100,000 seating capacity. The $1.15 billion stadium is home of the National Football League's Dallas Cowboys. The stadium has the world’s largest HDTV (160 feet wide and 72 feet tall), more than 3,000 LCD screens all around for fans to see the action wherever they are in the stadium, and a variety of restaurants and shops. The Cowboys Stadium will host the NBA All-Star Game, the Super Bowl in 2011 and the NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four in 2014.

There are many Filipinos in Dallas, that’s why a lot of Filipino restaurants thrive here. Dallas is a place worth going to. Being the top leisure destination in Texas, the city boasts of being stylish, fashionable, luxurious, and prosperous. Dallas’ hotels, restaurants, night spots and tourist attractions are sure to make anyone fall in love with the city. Just like me.
Of course, I also went around our beautiful country—Subic, ... nothing beats home sweet home.
For a decade now, I have been on the move—going around, travelling both for business and pleasure. And there’s still no stopping me. As long as there are places to visit in and out of the country, I will explore and experience the best of the world. #

HE DID IT

By Robbie Pangilinan

Nothing is impossible if you set your mind on it. This is the message of the upcoming album “I Did It” which features a mixture of hiphop, RnB, and reggae music. During these times of crises and uncertainty, there is no better message than one of hope and optimism—and the album brings just that.

“If you’re gonna dream, dream big,” says Sly Kane, the rap artist/producer behind the “I Did It” album. The album, his first solo, features the late King of Pinoy rap Francis Magalona, Gloc-9, and Mike Kasem, the son of legendary host Kasey Kasem of America’s Top 40. Also included in the album is the much talked about theme song of the Philippines ’ Youngest World Champion Marvin Sonsona, who used the song as his entrance hymn during his championship bout last September 2009 in Ontario, Canada.

Sly Kane has been in the music industry since 1997. Being a part of many rap groups, he has been featured on many rap albums, has appeared on TV shows, has been written about in magazines like Pulp, MTV Philippines and YES, and has even had cameo MTV appearances and cameo movie roles. Sly Kane has also been a radio broadcaster over 99.9 D Bomb FM and 105.9 FM.

Born in the Philippines but raised in Namibia, South West Africa by parents working for the United Nations, Sly Kane wants to convey the message that dreams do come true if you have the right recipe. “Mike Swift said it best: Ok lang mangarap dahil ito ay libre,” shares the young rapper who makes music for all to enjoy, regardless of age and stature in life.

MYX Awards’ 2008 and 2009 Best Director gathers inspiration from the stories of Lauryn Hill and Ludacris. “Wyclef of the Fugees said that Lauryn Hill would never make it as a solo artist and that she was nothing without the Fugees. She proved them wrong and produced her first and only solo effort which was a huge success. Ludacris was also another struggling artist who had his first record scrapped by all the major record labels who even said the material wasn’t good enough. He started his own label DTP and had platinum albums,” Sly Kane shares.

Mista Blaze gave him the moniker Virus Entertainment, as this upcoming album was almost cancelled due to viruses that plagued the records. “The entire project was totally deleted countless times!” exclaims RX 93.1’s Best New Artist in 2005 who dedicates his album to his mom and late Uncle Roland P. Dantes who is given homage in the album in the Arnis theme song that Sly co-wrote with Mista Blaze, Jonan Aguilar and Mike Swift.

Sly Kane, who is also a proud father of four children, says that his favorite part of being an artist is the ability to be uninhibited to express opinions and relay it in a song for the masses to hear. He does not have regrets in his life because for him, every wrong decision is in fact a correct decision taken at a wrong time. “Don’t regret, never stop, keep pushing forward. God created tomorrows for us to carve a new path. I am who I am today because I live without regrets,” he says with a spark of hope in his eyes—hope that he wants everybody to have, too. #

After the album launch on June 16 at Dolce, Sly Kane will travel to South West Africa, Norway and across Europe to bring his message of hope. But before that, Sly Kane conquers the Philippines with the biggest international hip hop battle in the country, Groove Philippines. Check him out at these venues: June 20 at SM Pampanga, July 3 at SM Lucena, July 10 at SM Cebu, July 11 at SM Iloilo, July 17 at SM Cagayan de Oro, July 24 at SM Davao and the National Finals on August 14 at SM Mall of Asia.

He will also have a mall tour for THE HEROES PROJECT of Mike Chan, Alex Crisano, Mike Swift, Mr. Blaze along with Nyoy Volante and The New System Dancers, and a project wid Mista Blaze/ Bojam Flipmusic.