IBF ORDERS PURSE BID FOR CONDES-RACHMAN TITLE FIGHT

Fed up with the failure of promoters and handlers of IBF minimum weight champion Muhammad Rachman of Indonesia and mandatory challenger Florante Condes of the Philippines to come to terms, the IBF has ordered a purse bid.

IBF championship chairman Lindsey Tucker Jr informed Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today that promoter Bobby Bostick and Golden Boy Promotions international matchmaker Samson Lewkowicz “were in negotiations and there was talk of Bostick bringing the fight to the US.”

However, Tucker said they “never reached a final agreement in the time frame set by the IBF” and as a result the organization has called for a purse bid to be held in the IBF office on April 5, 2007 at 12 noon.

The co-manager of Condes, Dante Ortiz told Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today that the handlers of Rachman were offered $30,000 plus other perks to defend his title against Condes in the US but wanted a much higher purse of $75,000.

Rachman was planning on an unification bout against WBO champion Ivan Calderon but the IBF stepped in and directed the champion to first defend his title against the heavy handed Condes who is 26 years old and has a record of 20 knockouts in 21 wins with 3 losses and a draw.

Rachman is coming off a controversial seventh round TKO win over another Filipino Benjie Sorolla last December 23 in Indonesia which Sorolla’s manager Marty Elorde claimed was “premature.” Rachman is 35 years old and has a record of 61-5-5 with 20 KO’s.