By Rey Danseco
 
WORLD Boxing Council’s top ranked contender Juanito Rubillar will resume his build-up for his anticipated WBC light flyweight title fight by facing veteran Ronnie Cañete in the main event of “Bakbakan sa Pasig” card early next month.

Rubillar (37-9-7, 17 KOs) has agreed to face the tough native of Cebu in the scheduled 10-round bout being installed by his promoter-manager Gabriel Elorde Jr. and in cooperation of One Dynamic Abbacus Co., LTD as his final tune-up.

Elorde will set up the fight in a makeshift arena at Ortigas Town Center along Julia Vargas Avenue, Ortigas Center in Pasig City, Metro Manila, Philippines with tentative date on March 4.

WBC president Jose Sulaiman assured Rubillar, who turned 29 on February 22, on Wednesday, that his mandatory championship fight against compatriot Brian “Pinoy Punch” Viloria (19-0, 12 KOs) for the WBC 108-lb title will proceed.

Sulaiman has informed Viloria’s handlers, manager Gary Gittlesohn and promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank, of the offer for him to fight Rubillar on April 4. Elorde is looking for either the 3,000-seat Elorde Sports Center or Araneta Coliseum as venue.

But Cañete is no pushover. He nearly scored a first round knockout over reigning WBC flyweight champion Pongsaklek Wonjongkam of Thailand in their non-title fight in April 2004 in Nakornrachasima, Thailand.

Cañete lost control and let Wonjongkam to recover until he was stopped in the third round.

In Sept. 2003, Cañete pushed Eric Barcelona to the limit in their 12-round bout for vacant Philippine super flyweight title at Municipal Gym in Guimbal, Iloilo.

He gave RP No. 10 Jun Pader a hard fight, but lost only with a split decision in the main event on Feb. 5 in Dalaguete, Cebu after he disposed with the same fashion Eric Rapada in Mandaue City on Sep. 19, 2005.

Rubillar, who came out short in both his IBF minimumweight and WBC light fly title bouts, is coming of in a unanimous decision win over 10 rounds - against another veteran Acasio Simbajon in a rematch in San Dionisio, Paranaque City on Dec. 18.

Rubillar’s only losses in his 26 fights within the last six years were controversial decisions against Mexican Jorge Arce in 2001 and 2004, for the WBC light flyweight interim championship and regular WBC light flyweight world title, respectively.