By Rey Danseco
WORLD number two light flyweight contender Juanito Rubillar is planning to take two more fights, instead of one, before taking another chance to vie in a coveted title in the WBC.
Rubillar’s hander Gabriel “Bebot” Elorde Jr. agreed in principle to an offer from the camp of Philippine light flyweight champion Sonny Boy Jaro for a title fight on February 29 at Fiesta Casino and Hotel in Binangonan, Rizal.
Elorde revealed that Jaro’s hander Aljoe Jaro has tendered $10,000 (roughly P41,000) to lure Rubillar in putting down on the line his Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) light flyweight crown against Jaro.
“It’s an offer that is hard to resist considering Juanito has edge in many aspects against Jaro,” said Elorde yesterday.
“(I think) it's about 60 percent, that Juanito will win the fight,” Elorde answered to the question about the chances of winning of the defending champion.
If theres’ no lucrative offer, the 30-year old native of Barangay Central in Mati town in Davao Oriental will be making an easier non-title fight prior to the anticipated final elimination bout in light flyweight division of WBC against former champion Omar Niño of Mexico.
The Team Rubillar has offered Niño a $30,000 purse, through American promoter Gary Shaw, to fight Rubillar in Manila.
Shaw responded to Elorde and demanded $40,000 purse plus three air tickets for with Mexico-Manila-Mexico routes and a business class air ticket for one with a USA-Manila-USA course.
In case the negotiations of the two parties fail, they will proceed to a purse bid ceremony on January 7 at the WBC offices in Mexico. The winner will have the right to promote the fight.
“We will go to the purse bidding if it will be the way to get Rubillar another title shot,” said Elorde.
The winner of the battle of the top two contenders, Niño and Rubillar, respectively, will get the crack against reigning WBC light flyweight champion Edgar Sona of Mexico.
