Hard-hitting challenger Florante Condes of Looc, Romblon, is guaranteeing he’ll dethrone IBF minimumweight champion Muhammad Rachman in their scheduled 12-round title bout in Jakarta on June 16.
Condes, 27, said he won’t let the judges decide the outcome and will go for a knockout.
“I don’t care if we fight inside his house,” said Condes who stopped Elmer Gejon to win the Philippine 105-pound crown last year. “I’m confident I can win. If he runs, I’ll catch him because he won’t be able to get away for 12 rounds. Once I hit him, he’ll go down for sure.”
Condes packs a lot of power in his fists. He has scored 18 KOs in compiling a 19-4-1 record since turning pro five years ago and hasn’t lost in his last eight outings. His four losses were on points and three were disputed decisions.
But Rachman, 35, is an experienced survivor. His record is 61-5-5, with 31 KOs, and he has never lost to a Filipino, victimizing among others, Benjie Sorolla twice, Ernesto Rubillar, Noel Tu?acao, Bert Batawang, Jun Arlos and Jerry Pahayahay. Of Rachman’s 31 knockout wins, five came in the first round and eight in the second.
Condes’ manager Aljoe Jaro said the guarantee isn’t a folly.
“The boy’s not boasting,” he said. “He knows what he can do and he has studied Rachman’s style carefully on tape. Rachman promised he won’t run and will knock out Condes. If he fights toe-to-toe, I pity him. He’s going to sleep.”
Jaro, a former world-rated superflyweight who now owns a stable of 18 fighters, said he’s not worried about the judges, one of whom will be Filipino sportswriter Salven Lagumbay. What he asked IBF championship committee chairman Lindsay Tucker for is to appoint an American referee, not an Australian like John Wright who worked Rachman’s third defense against Sorolla last December. Wright hastily halted the fight in the seventh round although Sorolla never went down and it didn’t seem like he was badly hurt.
Jaro said Condes’ title shot was originally set last May but it was postponed because his Puerto Rican partner Dante Ortiz wanted to bid for a Florida site.
“Rachman asked for a $75,000 purse to defend in Florida and Ortiz told me he could raise the money,” said Jaro. “But nothing came of it. The IBF ordered a purse bid and Ortiz didn’t even show up, giving Rachman’s group the right to promote for $25,000 out of which Condes will get only $3,700. Ortiz later apologized and promised to add $8,300 to Condes’ purse to give him a total of $12,000.”
Jaro said Ortiz signed Condes to a two-year contract as his US promoter last September. He committed to promote three fights in the first year but hasn’t delivered.
“Ortiz wanted Condes to fight in the undercard of an Evander Holyfield main event last year but I didn’t get the contract until a week or two before the bout so there was no chance to get a US visa,” said Jaro. “If he goes to Jakarta, I’ll sit down with him and review our contract because he hasn’t kept his part of the deal.”
Jaro said Ortiz will join Condes’ corner as a cutman in case he shows up in Jakarta. Ortz’ constant companion is former WBA superlightweight champion Morris East, a Filipino now living in Las Vegas.
Condes has sparred over 125 rounds to prepare for Rachman. The other day, he went 12 rounds with Sonny Boy Jaro, Danilo and Roberto Lerio and Denver Suello at the Mandaluyong gym.
“He’s ready to go,” said Jaro who leaves with Condes, trainer George Sol and lawyer Joey Mendoza for Jakarta on June 11. “I have no doubt when he comes home, he’ll be the new champion.”
Condes, a bachelor, was brought to Jaro’s gym in Binangonan, Rizal, from Romblon by boxing referee Rudy Dalisay.
