By Rey Danseco
DISAPPOINTED with the way the World Boxing Council (WBC) has treated him, top ranked light flyweight contender Juanito Rubillar will take a non-title fight instead of his anticipated third world championship fight.
Rubillar will take on veteran Acasio Simbajon for the third time in the main event of the year-end boxing card of Gabriel “Bebot” Elorde Jr., on December 18 at the San Dionisio Sports Center in the southern Manila suburb of Paranaque City.
The boxing card, supported by the Knights of Columbus of Paranaque City with the help of Police Inspector Arsenio Rodriguez, aim to inspire the youth in Paranaque to go into sports and prevent their involvement in drugs.
The 28-year-old former WBC International champion was expecting a shot as he was mandated by the WBC as the first challenger to newly-crowned WBC light flyweight champion Brian “Filipino-Hawaiian Punch” Viloria in a all-Filipino championship bout.
But the Mexico-based sanctioning body of the WBC may not allow it, disobeying its own well-publicized decision to give Rubillar a shot, which was made at the WBC's 43rd Annual Convention last October in Spain.
In the convention attended by Games and Amusement Board chairman Eric Buhain, the WBC confirmed: “world champion Brian Viloria must fight No. 1 ranked official challenger Juanito Rubillar of the Philippines next.”
However, WBC Executive Secretary Mauricio Sulaimán, son of WBC president Jose Sulaiman, disobeyed the decision by giving his compatriot a chance for a title crack by allowing Mexican Jose Antonio Aguirre to challenge Viloria on Feb. 18 at Aladdin Casino in Las Vegas.
Aguirre – who is managed by former three time champ Erik Morales -- is the former WBC 105-pound champ who was given shots at WBC and World Boxing Association light flyweight titles, where he suffered shameful knockout loses.
It will be the second time the WBC took away a mandatory shot from Rubillar in favor of Aguirre.
The WBC installed Aguirre to fight Ortiz for the vacant title on March 11 in Mexico City. Then to prevent, Rubillar from fighting, the WBC changed Viloria's ranking from flyweight to the No. 1 spot in light flyweight - to give him a crack at Ortiz.
“Despite being so proud to wear the green and gold belt, they (WBC) keep me waiting and waiting, I don’t deserve to get dumped just because they know that I’m unbeatable at this time by anyone in my division,” said Rubillar, who keeps on winning and has remained in his position in the WBC rankings due to the WBC recognizing that his decision loses in two fights against another Mexican, Jorge “Travieso” Arce for the WBC light flyweight interim and regular WBC light flyweight titles in 2001 and 2004 in Mexico, were controversial.
