By Rey Danseco

FILIPINO challenger Eriberto “Yukka” Gejon and World Boxing Association (WBA) minimumweight champion Yutaka Niida may expect no nationalistic decision when they meet on September 25, as the WBA assigned officials from neutral countries.

The WBA assigned Puerto Rican Luis Pabon, 38, as the third man in the ring while the judges at ringside are all veteran officials from South American countries and Asia.

“No Japanese or Filipino judges or officials, it will be neutral,” Gilberto Jesus Mendoza, WBA Executive Vice-president, told this writer in an exclusive interview yesterday.

Mendoza, son of WBA president Gilberto Mendoza, revealed that the judges are Medardo Villalobos from Panama, Jesus Cova from Venezuela and Chalerm Prayadsab from Thailand.

The young Mendoza is on the first of his scheduled two-week business trip in Tokyo, Japan. Gejon and Niida, who will put his WBA 105-lb throne for the third time, lock horns at the Yokohama Arena, which can accommodate 20,000 spectators.

The 5-foot-6 ½ Gejon, who has height and reach advantages, will fight Niida, who is a former national strawweight champion in the Philippines and ex-WBA Fedelatin minimumweight boss.

Aside from rated No. 2 by the WBA, the unbeaten Filipino in 22 fights with one draw and 13 wins by way of stoppage is ranked No. 8 both by the IBF and WBC and No. 4 by the WBO.

The 5-foot-2 and a year younger explosive Japanese champion from Yokohama, has an 18-1-3 with 8 KOs mark in his ledger. He is currently called a two-time champ of the division as he also won the same title in August 2001 until Venezuelan Noel Arambulet dethroned him on close split decision in July 2003.

He reclaimed the title from Arumbulet via a unanimous verdict a year later in July 2004 and has defended against Juan Jose Landaeta via split decision and Jae Kwon Kim, also in a full distance verdict.