By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Filipino promoter Sammy Gello-ani has promised to pay former IBF minimumweight champion Florandes his purse for his title eliminator against Nkosinathi Joyi of South Africa who won by a lopsided decision although Condes was praised for a gallant stand by the South African media.
BoxingScene.com, insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports understands that Gello-ani will meet with Condes, trainer Joven Jimenez and Condes’ lawyer Atty.Edgar Padernal to hand over the money and to provide a statement of the deductions.
The IBF title eliminator at the Orient Theater in East London , South Africa was promoted by International Promoter of the Year Branco Milenkovic who was praised by Condes’ manager Dante Ortiz in an email to IBF president Marian Muhammad for staging a fine title eliminator.
Gello-ani who coordinates Condes’ fights with Ortiz, including his title defense against Raul “Rayito” Garcia which he lost by a split decision in Garcia’s hometown of La Paz last year, came under fire for failing to ensure that the trainer of Condes accompanied the fighter to South Africa and for effectively abandoning Condes in South Africa and flying to Atlantic City to be in the corner of flyweight Fernando Lumacad .
Lumacad lost by a 3rd round knockout to Mexican warrior Jorge Arce in a performance where fight fans and even promoter Bob Arum branded Lumacad a quitter.
Lumacad’s manager Ken Smith in an email to BoxingScene.com, insidesports.ph, Standard and Viva Sports agreed with our criticism of Lumacad but rose to the defense of Gello-ani disclosing that “Sammy is Fernando Lumacads promoter, as well as Condes. SGG promotions also represents Ramie Laput, and every other American Boxing Academy fighter for that matter. So I don’t see it as such a surprise or controversy at all that the Boss would choose to attend this important fight. Was Lumacads title eliminator less important than Condes fight? We don’t think so.”
Smith said “I certainly recognize that due to SGG promotions place as the #1 promoter in the country, that sometimes the Boss will not be able to attend my fighters schedule, and that sometimes it will be because he is required by TopRank or Golden Boy to attend. This is the price that you pay to be connected to a great promoter like Sammy G.”
Smith added that “Condes, like Lumacad should not be complaining about Sammy G, they should both be thanking him for the opportunity that he got for them, and then apologizing to him for blowing it!!... Both fighters lost on their own.. Didn’t have shit to do with their corners,, their managers, and most certainly not their Promoter,” adding that “It will be up to these fighters to redeem themselves.”
