CONDES READIES SELF FOR IMMINENT CELEBRITY LIFE
By Salven L. Lagumbay
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 10 Jul 2007
JAKARTA--He left the Philippines last July 2 a virtual unknown. Now, he knows he is returning to a celebrity status.
Florante 'The Little Pacquiao' Condes, raised in poverty in Sampaguita, Looc, Romblon but now based in Binangonan, Rizal, says that he is preparing himself for the media and numerous interviews the moment he steps out of a Philippine Airlines flight from this city to Manila.
Condes, a devastating war machine of a humanbeing, shocked the entire Indonesia last Saturday evening by knocking down IBF champion Muhammad Rachman twice en route to scoring a split decision verdict to snatch the IBF world minimumweight title.
The victory silenced a boisterous crowd that trooped to the RCTI TV studio in Jakarta that expected their local hero to easily dispatch of the boyish-looking Condes.
"No problem," Condes said in English, this time trying to brush up on the language he knows would be very useful especially when he meets the international press. He was answering to a question thrown at him on whether he would give Rachman a rematch.
However, once he gets home, Condes plans to first take care of his aging mother Juanita, and take a 15-day rest from the three months of hard training for the fight.
"Gusto ko po sana mapagawan ng bahay yung nanay ko po. Wala po kasi kaming bahay dun sa Romblon at pulubi lang kami. Kahit papaano makagawa man lang ako ng bahay para sa kanya," (I just want to build a house for my mother. We dont have a decent house in Romblon and we are very poor. I just want to give her a house), said Condes, who is the youngest in a brood of six.
Condes' father, who like him is named Florante, had died years ago from a serious illness.
Condes (L) with his manager Aljoe Jaro during the weigh-in in Jarkarta. Photo by Salven Lagumbay.
"Simple lang po naman ang ikinamatay ng tatay ko. TB lang po," Condes said, citing that due to extreme poverty, he could not bring his father to a decent hospital due to lack of finances.
Condes also plans to recover some parcel of land that his father was supposed to inherit in Romblon, but were not given to them due to their lack of education.
"He really wants to get what is due his family. They have lands in Romblon, but some relatives took it all for themselves leaving Florante's family with nothing," said Condes' manager Aljoe Jaro.
Jaro believes that Condes, who initially worked as a gasoline boy prior to his foray into professional boxing, will ultimately earn the money that would allow him to give decent life not only to his mother, but also to his other siblings.
Once in Manila, Jaro said he will immediately negotiate for a possible title defense for Condes in the Philippines. Jaro also said that Condes stands to earn a certain amount for the television rights once the fight with Rachman gets shown on Philippine TV.
"I will fight whoever my manager will want me to fight. That's for sure," assured Condes in Filipino.
In the meantime, Florante Condes, who arrived in Manila last night, says he will just have to make himself accustomed to the celebrity life that comes with being a legitimate world boxing champion.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Salven L. Lagumbay.
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