Llover nears IBF title shot

Fresh from disposing of former two-time world champion Luis Concepcion, unbeaten IBF No. 8 bantamweight Kenneth (Lover Boy) Llover is now a step closer to sealing a crack at the IBF belt but it's still a win away.

- By JOAQUIN HENSON

Llover floored Concepcion twice en route to notching a TKO win at 2:27 of the eighth round at the Winford Resort and Casino Manila last Sunday. A left hook to the jaw sent the Panamanian down in the second frame and a right uppercut to the chin produced another trip to the canvas in the third. Llover, a southpaw, displayed power in both fists. But Concepcion survived the knockdowns, battled back like a proud warrior and as Llover appeared to lose steam, stepped up his attack. Llover, however, got his second wind and in the eighth, left Concepcion defenseless under a barrage of unanswered power shots, prompting referee Carlo Baluyut