Power will be the key when Florante Condes of the Philippines makes the first defense of his International Boxing Federation (IBF) minimumweight title against Raul Garcia of Mexico on Saturday night (Sunday morning in Manila) at the Estadio Arturo Nahl in the resort city of La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico.
Nicknamed “Little Pacquiao,” Condes and Garcia both weighed 104 lbs during the official weigh-in last Friday and ringsiders are of the opinion that the scheduled 12-rounder will not go the distance.
Condes parades a 22-3-1 win-loss-draw card with 20 knockouts, while Garcia holds a 22-0-1 with 15 stoppages.
Calling the shots in Condes? corner is Danny Bactol, while providing morale support is top Cebu promoter Sammy Gello-ani, who arranged the 28-year-old Romblon native?s defense of the crown he won from Muhammad Rachmann of Indonesia in July last year in Jakarta.
Condes and his party arrived in Mexico last week.
Condes is one of the Philippines? five current world champions. The others are Manny Pacquiao (WBC superfeather), Gerry Pe?alosa (WBO bantam), Nonito Donaire (IBF fly) and Donnie Nietes (WBO minimumweight).
Meanwhile, another Filipino fighter is seeing action in Mexico on the same day Condes will square off with Garcia.
Light-fly Juanito Rubillar faces Omar Ni?o Romero of Mexico in a WBC 108-lb title elimination bout at the Sports Palace in Mexico City.
Rubillar is best remembered by Mexican fight fans as the hard-nosed puncher who gave Jorge a taste of hell in their previous meetings.
But Romero is a tough customer as he holds a win over the mercurial Brian Viloria.
