By Rey Danseco
SCIENTIFIC fighter Juanito Rubillar has given up his right to challenge World Boxing Council (WBC) light flyweight champ Brian Viloria and accepted the threatening order to face the second ranked Thai for the interim championship.
Gabriel “Bebot” Elorde Jr., Rubillar’ promoter and manager, recently informed WBC president Jose Sulaiman of their agreement when the WBC faxed a letter dated April 26, in order to find out Rubillar's plans.
The letter, was a follow up on Mexico-based boxing body’s April 18 order between Rubillar and former WBC interim minimumweight champ Wandee Singwancha to begin the free negotiations for the interim light flyweight championship.
“We need to know if you will participate in this interim championship or not,” Sulaiman stated in a forceful letter to whether he accept the WBC’s order or remains on his stand to fight Viloria.
Elorde made a counter-offer on Singwancha’s $20,000 purse offer on April 19 for Rubillar with Manila-Bangkok-Manila air tickets and room and meals for three persons to fight the 2nd ranked Thai in the third week of July outside of Bangkok.
Elorde tendered $20,500 with the same numbers of freebies to Team Singwancha to fight in Manila on June 17.
But yesterday, Singwancha replied and made known his interest to bring his fighter in Manila with $30,000 purse. However, on the same email transmittal, the Thai made his offer of $25,000 for Rubillar with air tickets, rooms accommodations and meals for four persons.
Elorde said he is persistent on bringing the fight in Manila, knowing the biases of officiating in Thailand. He will make his reply to Thai's offer on Monday.
Sulaiman promised in that letter,”The winner of Rubillar vs. Singwancha must fight Viloria whenever he is ready and fit to fight.”
Prior to that, Sulaiman was already assured Rubillar of the mandatory fight in another fax transmittal on Feb. 22, 2005, stated the Parañaque-based native of Davao Oriental must be next in line to fight for the title after Viloria’s bout against the winner of the bout between Mexican’s Eric Ortiz and Jose Antonio Aguirre on March 11, 2005 in Mexico.
In the 43rd Annual WBC convention in Spain in 2005, Rubillar was also declared as the mandatory challenger in his division.
Ortiz captured the vacant WBC belt with TKO win in round 7 to Aguirre and he lost the title with a first round knockout against then top ranked Viloria six months later on Sept. 10 in Los Angeles, California.
But the WBC, with influence of Viloria’s promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank, defied their Feb. 22 declaration and let Viloria made a voluntary defense against Aguirre, who lost with unanimous decision on Feb. 18 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Viloria injured himself in early rounds in his right hand and was advised to rest his hand within the next two to three weeks until March.
Filipino orthopedic specialist Dr. Raul Canlas removed the soft cast on Viloria’s hand and told him he can return to sparring.
However, Arum had used Viloria’s injury as well his involvement in staging of Floyd Mayweather’s winning of WBC welterweight belt from Zab Judah on April 8 in New York as main alibis to Sulaiman to order on April 3 the postponement of the WBC’s order of purse bid from April 7 to April 21 in Mexico City where in who would be the promoter of the Viloria-Rubillar fight should be decided.
Elorde had tendered $150,000 offer for Viloria and it would be his bidding amount. He also added $10,000 to his offer and assured the Team Viloria four round-trip air tickets with free hotels and meals while in Manila.
On April 8 Sulaiman insisted to this writer that he was firm on his decision for Viloria to fight Rubillar.
“The WBC did not and will not accept a substitution fight. The mandatory defense stays. No other fight will be accepted.”
However, 10 days later on April 18, the Mexican official changed his mind once again and favored Arum’s petition not to let Viloria fight Rubillar, using the same alibi on the status of the Pinoy Punch’s hand.
In that letter, he also ordered the fight between Rubillar and Singwancha.
Rubillar, ranked No. 1, has packed with 37-9-7 record with 14 knockout. While Singwancha, the reigning WBC International light flyweight king, sports with 48-7-1, 10 KOs.
Sulaiman said, Arum told him Viloria will be back in the gym in June.
