By Ronnie Nathanielsz

Filipino ring idol and national treasure Manny Pacquiao applied for a Japanese visa in Cebu yesterday so he could be at special ringside to cheer Eriberto “Yukka” Gejon when he battles WBA minimum weight champion Yutaka Niida in a title fight  in Yokohama, Japan on September 25.

Gejon’s manager Rex “Wakee” Salud who was in Los Angeles for the Pacquiao clash with Mexican veteran Hector Velazquez accompanied Pacquiao on the flight back home and then to Cebu. They are scheduled to leave for Japan on Friday.

Both Salud who manages Gejon and the title contender said the “presence of Manny at ringside will be a major boost” in the lanky Gejon’s bid to add to the new-found glory of Filipino boxers.

This was epitomized by Pacquiao’s smashing sixth round stoppage of Velazquez, Brian Viloria sensational first round KO over Eric Ortiz to win the WBC light flyweight crown and WBO Asia Pacific bantamweight champion Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista’s hammering of Colombia’s Felix Flores Murillo who was knocked out in the third round.

Should Gejon who is undefeated with a record of 21-0-1 with 13 knockouts defeat Niida who has a record of 18-1-3 with 8 KO’s, he will become the second Filipino world champion at present, the other being Viloria. Undefeated Rodel Mayol, is the mandatory challenger for the WBC minimum weight title and WBC president Jose Sulaiman has committed to ensure that Mayol gets a crack at the world crown later this year.

Gejon is coming off a second round KO of Thailand’s Namchai Taksinisan last April 27 while Niida won a twelve round unanimous decision in a April 11 title defense against South Korea’s Jae Won Kim.