CONDES GOES FOR WORLD TITLE TODAY
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 07 Jul 2007
Hard-hitting Florante Condes hopes to become the only Filipino world champion at present when he battles reigning IBF champion Muhammad Rachman in a mandatory title fight in Jakarta on today.
The co-managers of the fighter who is referred to as “The Lion from Manila” because of his devastating punching power and his fighting heart, Aljoe Jaro and American Dante Ortiz have both confidently predicted that Condes will be the new world minimum weight champion after he disposes of the ageing 35 year old Rachman.
Two days before his mandatory title shot Condes received the good news that his purse for the fight will ultimately amount to $12,500 after Ortiz signed an agreement wuth Condes’ promoter Bobby Bostick and his partner Trevino Boxing Promotions. The agreement guaranteed Condes a purse of $9,500 in addition to the $3,000 from the Indonesian promoter . Ortiz also cautioned Aljoe Jaro to be “alert after the fight because anything can happen in Indonesia because without Rachman being a champion they (Indonesian promoters) can disappear.”
In a word of advice to Condes, Ortiz told the Filipino southpaw not to back off and instead to carry the fight to the champion even as other observers said Condes should not take Rachman lightly because he is a champion and a hometown crowd usually works wonders with the judges. Condes earned the mandatory title shot for being the available contender following indications that none of the top fighters were willing to travel to Jakarta to fight Rachman because of alleged hometown decisions. In his last title defense against Filipino Benjie Sorolla on December 23 last year the fight was stopped in the seventh round and Rachman was awarded a TKO win which was vehemently protested by Sorolla’s manager Marty Elorde who claimed the stoppage was premature. But even Elorde’s appeal to the IBF didn’t work.
Aljoe Jaro believes the 27 year old southpaw Condes who has a record of 20 knockouts in 21 wins with only 3 losses and 1 draw won’t be bothered by the possibility of a hometown decision because he will win by a knockout against Rachman who is eight years older.. Condes’ manager says his fighter will be in “200 percent condition” when he leaves for Jakarta on June 11, five days before the fight.
Rachman who has never fought outside his native Indonesia has a record of 61-5-5 with 31 knockouts with his most impressive win coming in his first mandatory title defense against Mexican Omar Soto when the Indonesian scored a sixth round KO on May 6, 2006.
Condes in virtually a tune-up fight last December 9 won a unanimous eight round decision over Julius Alcos after earlier scoring an impressive sixth round TKO over Fabio Marfa in a title defense on September 17 last year.
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