For Las Vegas gamblers, the triple seven is a lucky number on casino slot machines and the blackjack table.
For the religious, God needed seven days to create the World, the Jewish bride circles her groom seven times, and Muslim pilgrims go seven times around the sacred black Kabaa in Mecca.
Hindus recognize the seven chakras (spinning wheel sources of energy) of the body, while the Seven Deadly Sins and Seven Wonders of the World are a source of fascination across any religious divide.
For the Filipino boxing community, 7/7/7 is truly a mystical number.
On July 7, 2007, the Philippines ended its four-year world boxing title drought in style by producing two world champions in one night with Florante “Little Pacquiao” Condes and Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire, Jr. dethroning their respective foes in separate venues.
Their triumphs were like a lovely music to the ears of the Filipinos, who were left without a legitimate world boxing champion since Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao voluntarily vacated his IBF super bantamweight throne four years ago.
Condes snatched the International Boxing Federation (IBF) minimumweight title by defeating Muhammad Rachman of Indonesia by split decision over 12 heats at the RCTI television station in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Condes floored Rachman in the third and 10th rounds to get the nod of the two judges. Salven Lagumbay of the Philippines and Montol Suriyachand of Thailand had identical scores of 114-112 for Condes, while Muhammad Rois penned it 117-113 for Rachman.
Condes now holds an improved 22-3-1 win-loss-draw record with 20KOs, while Rachman, slipped to 61-6-5 with 31KOs.
Donaire, on the other hand, pulled off a shocking fifth round knockout of the previously undefeated champion Vic “Raging Bull” Darchinyan to clinch the IBF and IBO flyweight crowns at the Harbour Yard Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Thus, Nonito avenged the loss of his brother Glenn, who sustained a broken jaw at the hands of Darchinyan.
Nonito dominated Darchinyan right from the start and capped his big night by landing a solid left hook that flattened the Armenia-born Australian citizen warrior for good at the 1:38 mark of the round five.
Darchinyan got up and way okay but was already counted out by referee Eddie Claudio.
The win raised Donaire’s record to 18-1 now dotted with 11KOs, while Darchinyan saw his 28-fight win streak spiked with 22KOs came to a bitter end.
