By Rey Danseco
BANGKOK, Thailand – Juanito Rubillar will rely on his skills to win over Wandee Singwancha on Tuesday, but he recognizes the presense of his manager Gabriel Elorde Jr. and his wife as morale boaster.
Elorde arrived here with wife Arlene from Manila to join Rubillar in his bid to retain the number ranking and the right to face Brian Viloria for the World Boxing Council (WBC) light flyweight title in mandatory fight.
“Sa ring dalawa lang kami, kompiyansa ako na mananalo. Pero iba pa rin kung alam mo na may mga supporter ka sa ringside mas nakakalakas ng loob,” said Rubillar, who is ready in the official weigh in today.
Rubillar and Singwancha, the top two ranked under Viloria respectively, will trade punches on Tuesday at The Mall Shopping Center in Bangkapi district.
Also at stake is the WBC interim light flyweight title belt. The bout is set for 12-rounds and will supervised by Australian Malcolm Bulner, who will also work as referee.
Rubillar, 29 years old and three years old senior to Singwancha, has no problem in weight. He can afford to take the popular tomyang soup and steak.
Boxing pundits here has tagged Rubillar “the favorite” due to higher knockout percentage and experience of facing quality opponents.
“Rubillar (will win) unanimous decision in front of a shocked Thai crowd,” said Scott Mallon, a native of Coral Gables in Florida but lives in Bangkok with his Thai wife with their two children since 1995.
“The matchup between Rubillar and Singwancha comes as a welcome relief to the usual mismatches put on between Thais and Filipinos in Thailand and with a title shot on the line, it’s sure to be a scorching encounter.”
Mallon, who also writes for Ring Magazine admitte,“This is one of those rare fights in Thailand where the visiting fighter, Rubillar, actually has an excellent chance of winning.”
Rubillar has arrived here with trainer Erbito Salavarria ang Ruel Morata last July 14. They stays at Prince Palace Hotel in the 32-storey Bobae Tower in the heart of Bangkok.
Coming of in 100 rounds of sparring in Manila, Rubillar sports with 40-9-7 win-loss-draw records with 17 knockouts.
Singwancha, the former WBC interim minimumweight champ, has 48-7-1, 10 KOs.
Rubillar is a determined-man with mission. He seriously wanted to bring home the title that the father and son tandem of WBC president Jose Sulaiman and executive secretary Mauricio Sulaiman have denied him to take after losing to Jorge Arce twice in scorecards, which the last one was controversial.
“Not just bring home but also to retain here (Philippines) the belt (for 108-pound division) that Viloria brought here and took out of his birth of origin in the United States,” said Rubillar, referring to Hawaii-born and raised Brian Viloria, whose parents are 100% Filipinos from Northern Philippine province of Ilocos Sur.
The Sulaimans backed up Singwancha, ranked No. 2, to face Rubillar after they collaborated on Viloria’s excuse of having lingering effect from his right-hand injury that he got from putting down the belt on the line with another Mexican, Jose Antonio Aguirre on February 18 in Las Vegas.
Rubillar and Viloria should have fought in May but after American manager Gary Gittlesohn collaborated with Las Vegas-based promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank to convince the Sulaimans -- who recently decided to match the Pinoy and Hawaii Punch champion against their fellow Mexican.
The Sumalaimans decision to disobey the mandate in the WBC Annual Convention in Spain, where Rubillar was declared the priority challenger in the division, was led to match lowly 13th ranked Guadalajara-native Nino Romero against Viloria on Aug. 8 at the Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas with the WBC title on the line.
Rubillar was actually originally declared by the older Sulaiman in February of last year as the priority challenger whoever the WBC world champion in 108-lb class after Mexico’s Jorge “Travieso” Arce vacated the title to campaign in heavier class, where he defeated Australian Hussein Hussein for WBC interim flyweight title in March 2005 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Elorde don’t want to comment as of this time regarding the Sulaimans’ decision.
But a boxing observer in Manila said,”Maybe people around the world is wondering why the WBC ordered Juanito to fight for interim when he’s the priority challenger? He obeys WBC’s order because they say Viloria is injured and won’t be able fight, but all of a sudden these Sulaimans are reportedly approved Viloria’s request to make another choice defense. They fool the Filipino people and the boxing fans around the world. They maybe agreed because Romero is a Mexican too like them.”
