Sun.Star: RP pugs eye international titles July

Who will become the next Filipino world boxing champion? Five of them will soon have the chance to become one. Maybe only four. Three. Two. One. Or, none at all. Nevertheless, five RP fighters will have a chance of winning boxing's Holy Grail when they step into the ring on separate dates and venues to challenge reigning world-title holders beginning July 7. Two little men open the Filipino campaign as Florante Condes takes on Indonesian Muhammad Rachman for the latter's International Boxing Federation (IBF) minimum weight title, and Nonito Donaire clashes with hard-hitting Vic Darchinyan for the Armenian-turned-Australian's IBF and International Boxing Organization (IBO) flyweight crowns. Condes, who hails from Binangonan, Rizal, and Donaire, who comes from General Santos City but is now based in San Leandro, California, will climb the ring on July 7. Condes faces Rachman in Indonesia, while Donaire fights Darchinyan in Connecticut, U.S.A. On July 21, Cebuano Czar Amonsot gets his chance for a world title when he battles Michael Katsidis for the latter's World Boxing Organization (WBO) lightweight diadem at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Amonsot-Katsidis tussle will be underneath the Bernard Hopkins-Winky Wright encounter. After that, the big names of Philippine boxing--Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista and veteran Gerry Peñalosa--get their own chance of annexing world crowns and giving the country a taste of boxing glory. Peñalosa, a former world champ, meets WBO bantamweight titlist Johnny Gonzalez at the Arco Arena, Sacramento, California. The young Bautista, who hails from Candijay, Bohol, then takes on title-holder Daniel Ponce de Leon, a Mexican like Gonzalez, for the WBO super bantamweight crown. The two bouts are part of the much-anticipated Philippines vs Mexico World Cup where upcoming young Filipino fighters AJ Banal and Bert Batawang are also slated to see action. Of the five, Condes, Bautista and Peñalosa better than an even chance of dethroning the defending champions. Filipino boxing fans can hardly wait to see their five intrepid countrymen conquer their respective foes. Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao is the acknowledged People's Champ and ranked among boxing's most exciting fighters today even though he holds no legitimate boxing title or belt to his name. - Sun.Star