Florante Condes Recovering Rough in Manila

By Rey Danseco

IBF minimumweight champion Florante "Little Pacquiao" Condes (22-3-1, 20 KOs) has no permanent gym to use in Metro Manila, Philippines.

The 27-year-old champion has been forced to work out in the Tiger City Gym of Jay San Pedro in Mandaluyong City and various sweat shops in Quezon City, Valenzuela City and elsewhere in Metro Manila to prevent any accidental confrontation with his promoter Aljoe Jaro.

Condes left Jaro’s stable in Barangay San Carlos in Binangonan, Rizal without permission sometime January. He jumped ship to Puerto Rican Dante Ortiz, who he has signed as his co-manager with Jaro as signatory and not his wife Alice Jaro, who is the registered manager under Philippine Games and Amusement Board.

The 5-foot-2 southpaw, who was reported living with his uncle Apolinar Valencia in Taytay, Rizal, was last seen last week, riding at the back of a motorcycle on his way to San Pedro’s gym.

ut Condes ran away along with his companions when he noticed Jaro’s younger brother, Frankie Jaro, who was also one of his trainers, along the street near the gym.

Along with WBO bantamweight champ Gerry Penalosa, IBF/IBO flyweight king Nonito Donaire, and WBO minimumweight boss Donnie Nietes, Condes’ last television appearance was during the opening game of the best-of-seven championship series of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup on Feb. 15 at the Araneta Coliseum, formerly the "biggest covered coliseum in the world" and currently the largest indoor facility in Southeast Asia.

Condes agreed to defend his title against Mexican Raul Garcia in Mexico, but the fight was put off after he suffered an injury in training.

While the Filipino champion is undergoing a twice-a-week therapy, the IBF allowed him to recuperate and set May 7 as the deadline for Condes’ mandatory title defense or else he will be stripped of the crown.

The IBF wants Condes to face the survivor between Garcia and Colombian Ronald Barrera on February 26 in La Paz, Mexico.