Losing is not an option for Romblon challenger Florante Condes who battles IBF minimumweight champion Muhammad Rachman of Indonesia in a scheduled 12-round title bout at the indoor tennis stadium in Senayan on July 7.
Condes, manager Aljoe Jaro, trainer George Sol and lawyer Joey Mendoza left Manila for Jakarta yesterday afternoon.
Before departing, Jaro told The Star there is no way Condes will lose and guaranteed the hard-hitting southpaw will bring home the IBF 105-pound crown. Condes predicted a knockout win inside eight rounds.
“There’s no way Rachman will last,” said Jaro. “He’s old (35) and I’m told making the weight is a problem. He’ll be dehydrated by the time they fight. Condes will knock him out with either a left uppercut or a right cross. He’s confident and ready to win.”
Although the fight has been at least twice postponed, Jaro said the delay has only toughened Condes.
“We wrapped up sparring last Wednesday to complete 160 rounds,” said Jaro. “Our target was 150 rounds but we went a little over because of the postponement. I even gave Condes four days off so as not to burn himself out but after two days, he was back in the gym because he’s not used to the easy life.”
Jaro said there is no return bout clause in the fight contract since Condes is a mandatory challenger.
“I’m already thinking about his first defense,” said Jaro. “I want it to be in Manila. A lot of sponsors are supporting Condes and I owe it to them to hold his first defense at home. I hope IBF president Marian Muhammad will agree.”
Condes tipped the scales at 107 1/2 pounds the day before leaving Manila and Jaro said it won’t be a problem making the weight.
“Condes is very disciplined,” said Jaro. “We never stopped him from eating. He’s a natural 105-pounder. The boy is determined to become a world champion. He has no girlfriend. He doesn’t even own a cellphone. His focus is only on boxing. He’s not taking Rachman lightly but he knows what he’s capable of doing.”
Jaro said he has studied Rachman’s style carefully on tape and can’t imagine Condes losing.
“If Rachman fights toe-to-toe, he’ll get knocked out for sure,” said Jaro. “Our plan is to go to the body in the early rounds. Then we’ll switch to the head and take it from there. We won’t let the referee and judges decide the outcome. Condes will win by knockout.”
Jaro said he’s grateful to IBF championship committee head Lindsay Tucker for approving his request to choose an American referee. In Rachman’s last defense, Australian referee John Wright seemed hasty in awarding the Indonesian a technical knockout win over Filipino challenger Benjie Sorolla even as there was no knockdown.
Wayne Hedgepeth has been assigned to work the bout. He began his referee career in 1992 and worked five fights in Russia before laying off for five years. Hedgepeth resumed his ring chores in 2003. He has worked only two world title fights so far – a WBU superfeatherweight match where Angel Manfredy outpointed Wilson Rodriguez in 1997 and a WBC welterweight bout where Carlos Baldomir halted Arturo Gatti last year.
The judges in the fight will be Filipino sportswriter Salven Lagumbay, Montol Suriyachand of Thailand and Mohammad Rois of Indonesia.
Jaro said his Puerto Rican business partner Dante Ortiz and former world champion Morris East are flying in from Las Vegas to witness the bout. Ortiz signed Condes to a two-year contract as his US promoter last September but has not been able to arrange a fight yet. The contract stipulates three fights a year.
’My lawyer and I will sit down with Ortiz in Jakarta,? said Jaro. ?I think he wants Condes for himself and wants me out. That’s not going to happen. Condes will fight only for me, nobody else. He’s like my son. No matter what Ortiz offers him, Condes won?t leave me because he’s loyal and he’s like family to me.?
Condes, 27, has scored 18 KOs in compiling a 19-4-1 record since turning pro five years ago and is unbeaten in his last eight outings. Rachman’s record is 61-5-5, with 31 KOs, and he has never lost to a Filipino, victimizing among others Ernesto Rubillar, Noel Tunacao, Bert Batawang, Jun Arlos and Jerry Pahayahay.
Condes will be paid only $3,700 for the fight whose promotional rights were awarded to Rachman’s group in a purse bid. But Ortiz promised to add $8,300 because he failed to show up for the bidding conducted by the IBF in New Jersey.
